


Memories of Us

by Inunanna



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 09:09:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 37,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7612270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inunanna/pseuds/Inunanna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After those three years she came back to be with him, to be part of the life of the Village and become one of them. But what would happen if Inuyasha forgets part of their journey? If he can't remember part of their story, how they chose to be together?. How is she going to bring back her Hanyou?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Inuyasha, its story or characters.

 1.  **Senses**

He remembered everything about that day, every little detail of THAT day. Since the moment he woke up everything was engraved in his memory, not because how special that day started. But because it had been completely ordinary it had been until she happened.

He had woken up on the roof of the _old hag’s_ hut, then he had gone to hunt something to nourish the Miko, the kitsune kit and the girl he thought of as his brother adoptive pup, he still was unclear on that weird relationship. After coming back with a boar and taking some of it to the monk’s hut, he came back to the old woman’s house and ate some of the well-earned food. After noon, a surroundings check was mandatory to keep all the unwanted visitors at bay, and it was just as mandatory making the rounds around the forest and pass just beside the well, making a small stop. A really short one just to remind himself why all this bother was necessary. He needed to do it because she would be proud of him doing it just like that.

He came back to the village and a lazy afternoon with the monk’s family sounded just right. Until that moment, everything in his day was normal, almost a carbon copy of everyday of this three years without her. Get up, hunt, eat, make rounds, lose time ‘til night, eat, sleep and repeat, that was his life.

The sun was almost setting when “it” happened. One of the most life-defining moments in his life. That incredible moment. The moment he smelled her again. At first he couldn’t react. Thinking that now his nose was playing tricks on him. It wouldn’t be the first time.

He never said it aloud but after coming back alone she had been around him constantly.

First his eyes had given him just what he wanted to see. Exactly what he needed to see. Kagome waiting for him outside Kaede hut after battling an especially vicious youkai. Kagome sitting and waiting for him, with her calming presence and a soft smile. And just by seeing her, he felt his body vibrating with life again. He walked so slowly, drinking her in. Watching in disbelief as her hair moved with the gentle wind a soft smile and misty eyes adorned her face. The image was broken when Sango exited the hut, running right through her, making her figure dissipate into air.

Then he had felt her, as if she was really there. It was in one of the moonless nights. The night of the month when he felt at his most vulnerable. When his heart felt even more heavy and lonely than usual. His friends had insisted on sleeping together in the old miko’s hut. For old times’ sake the monk had said, but he knew the truth. It was because of him and his stupid and weak human heart, and their knowledge of him crying himself to sleep on these nights. Nobody said anything about it but he knew them all too well That night he felt her was a warm summer night. Even with his human nose the smell of nature drifted to him. The only sounds was of his friends subtle snores. He allowed his mind to wander to better moments, happy moments. Moments when she was there.

 He could feel her weight against his shoulder her hair brushing his neck. Not wanting to move and praying to feel the soft warm of her body beside his, Inuyasha kept watching the moonless night while the only movement in his body were tears rolling down his cheeks. He could feel her presence next to him for the rest of the night. And when the morning light hit and the change happened the feeling of her was gone. All over again.

But no doubt the cruelest trick had be on his ears. The first time he had heard her was during one of his perimeter checks. The day had been bright and fresh, making the greens of the forest, his forest, deeper. And because of this he decided to make this round especially long. He started to slow just a little and listen: the leaves moving, the animals coming and going, remind him how he felt in some kind of perpetual pause. Shaking his head and determined to enjoy this day he had ended up in the largest tree of the forest. He was drinking the different colors, smells and feeling the wind in his face when he heard her. “Isn’t it beautiful Inuyasha? I always loved your forest” her soft voice has said. His head moved frantic to every possible angle but she was nowhere around. Even so he answered her with sound that was barely above whispering “Yes it is beautiful, Kagome”.

After all these first he had continuously seen her, feel her, and hear her. Curiously it always was one sense at a time. When he could see her waiting for him she didn’t say anything. When she was laughing softly to him, he couldn’t sense her close. And when he actually felt her around he couldn’t bring himself to look in her direction.

And now he was smelling her? He refused to be played by his most trusted sense. Even so, he could not deprive himself of taking a big breath and take her in. It was in that moment when beyond the noise of Sango’s pups he heard a gasp. That almost imperceptible sound made him go cold and hot at the same time. He took Miroku’s twins, gave them to Shippou and started running.

He had to be fast, faster than ever to find her before she went away. A moment of distraction and she was gone. But not today, he will see her and listen to her, at least for a moment before coming back to his favorite thing now, missing her.

He ran and ran feeling his heart in his ears. His chest was heaving and his hands were sweating. For a moment he hesitated in front of the well.

With a moment of bravery he lowered his hand into the well closing his eyes. His heart kept beating in his ears in time with slender, soft fingers wrapped around his hand, and he pulled, a little too fast because a little gasp was registered over the thumping in his ears.

With the sound he opened his eyes. That smile. Those bright eyes. The glowing skin. They were all there. She was all there. Still he wasn’t convinced that THIS Kagome was HIS Kagome.

This Kagome was now standing before him and he was frozen in place just watching her. Her voice came again with her beautiful notes.

“Were you waiting for me, Inuyasha?”

The hanyou took a deep breath, her smell was still there too. And without him noticing her free hand came to his face.

 “I made you wait too long, didn’t I?”

That was it for him, it didn’t matter if this Kagome was going to disappear. He had to hold her. Using his free hand he had push her to his chest. Her arm went immediately around his waist. His face rested on the top of her hair, just feeling, smelling, just drinking her in. Figuring that she would disappear in any moment now, he didn’t move, neither did her. Time passed but they didn’t move.

The spell broke when Shippo’s voice rolled to them “Kagome!”  The kit had ran from the village when her smell came to him. His eyes were full of unshed tears while his little body moved as fast as it could.

The young Miko stepped away from Inuyasha to receive the kitsune with open arms. Inuyasha felt instantly cold in the places Kagome had touched.

Seeing her wrap her arms around the kit. It finally hit him: if the kit could see her too, THIS Kagome was HIS Kagome.

It was a blessing that at that moment she was paying attention only to the kid, it would be rather embarrassing being watched as he had to sit on the well to steady himself while watching HIS Kagome hug the kit.

Also a blessing that with three kids the monk and his wife took really long to get to the well. By that time he had been able to stand on his own and breathe normally. His heart was still rampaging inside his chest but they couldn’t know that.

He saw their friends arrive, the happy noises and the loving hugs. And crying too, not on his end of course. From time to time she would look back at him and smile. It was clear to him that the distance between them was constant and short. If she moved he moved along with her.

After her arrival someone had always been talking to her. Always. They went to Kaede’s hut, where another reunion took place. They kept asking Kagome a bunch of things, useless thing he added.

He didn’t interrupt, not because he wasn’t curious. He just didn’t want them to take more of Kagome’s time. It was almost midnight when the monk’s family bid his goodbye for the night carrying their sleeping children to their home.

After that everyone prepared to go to bed. Kaede and Rin using two were sleeping on two sides of the fire. Shippo offered Kagome his blanket and without another word he placed himself inside Kagome’s embrace.

It bothered Inuyasha how neglected he felt. He understood how important Kagome was to everybody. Even so, he still felt bothered.

He had move to the wall nearest to Kagome and Shippo’s bed. Time passed but he couldn’t dare sleep. Couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes for a whole minute. He had to see her. The fear of him waking up and realizing this reunion had been a dream was his nightmare.

Slowly a pale hand came out of the futon towards him. Without a second to waste he grabbed it and the constriction in his chest eased. The morning came and the hanyou hadn’t sleep but with the sun’s light he was able to breathe again and with each deep breath her smell told him she was still here.

 

So... This was the first chapter, every comment is welcome.

Thank you for reading.

 

Nanna.

 


	2. Welcomes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The village wants to welcome Kagome in a way she deserves, but that means she will not have time to spend with the person she wants to be the most.

 ~Memories of Us~

 

**2\. Welcomes**

She was bothered… beyond bothered. This is not how she ever imagined her first days back. These days had been hell! Well… maybe not hell, and she was only being grumpy and dramatic. Still, she was not happy with the arrangements done in her name.

When she came out of the well she was almost vibrating with happiness and excitement. Looking up and seeing HIM, observing his face and the little changes that happened in his face in the three years that were separated. It was a little older and a little broader Inuyasha. An Inuyasha with emotions a lot deeper in his eyes. Eyes that made her heart grow with love just by being close to him.

It had been perfect how he was instantly beside her when she crossed the well. And the kiss. Without a single word she felt everything he wanted to tell her. How she missed him and how happy he was having her back.  And after their friend came over to them she was so happy to see them. To meet the new additions to their family.

The first day had been a bliss. Staying in Kaede’s hut, meeting Miroku’s and Sango’s children. They were beautiful children and Kagome was impressed that they had three children in three years, but kept that to herself.  She looked at their friends and the small changes in them. Family had mellowed Sango’s attitude, the sweetness she kept hidden for so long was ever present around her children. Miroku on the other side looked stronger, the pride he had on his family was obvious in every move, every touch and caress he gave to his children and wife. Kagome could not stop smiling at the happiness this moment gave her.

The little Shippou looked a little older when he tried to play with the monk’s twins. He looked so adorable forcing himself to be gentle with them when the toddlers didn’t have that kind of consideration to him. It made her happy to see him grow up being loved. But it was breaking her heart to notice the fast preoccupied glances he gave her from time to time as if he was making sure she was really there. She would just smile and after a quick smile of his own he would continue to play with the girls.

Kaede and Rin were sitting close and Kagome had the opportunity to admire the beautiful girl. Rin had started to develop into a beautiful woman. She was in her early teens she could guess, the woman she was going to be was not totally hidden anymore. She still had her sparkling and bright personality along with her curious eyes. But she noticed how she was more observant and a little quieter. Her big brown eyes were looking everywhere while smiling wide. Sometimes she would whisper something to Kaede’s ears making the old miko smile sweetly to her and move her head saying no. And responding with an almost too soft “not now child”. Kagome was really curious of what has going on in the girl’s head.

Inuyasha never left her side, even inside the hut he was sitting in his usual manner, but close enough to touch her leg with his. He looked bored but the little appendages on his head were flicking around nonstop. Kagome smiled softly and put her hand on his knee. One golden eye cracked open and looked at her without moving his head. After he realized she just wanted to touch him a short soft rumble in his chest told her he was just as happy as her. The eye closed again and her hand remained on his leg.

The second day was chaos.  The whole village was aware of her return and wanted to meet her again. It was a nonstop parade of villagers in the old miko’s hut.

Kagome felt flattered by all the attention, she really did but she had plans on her own and telling everyone to leave her alone was too rude. The villagers did not only visited and wish her well. Some of them brought gifts, they carried every kind of food, fabric and others objects. Most of them said they were grateful that she decided to come back to the village to protect them. Others would ask her not to go again. And others, much to Inuyasha’s flaring temper, thanked her for leaving her companion with them. Some even implied he was her servant. She was fast in correct them but most of them didn’t bulge saying the only thing a hanyou could be to a miko was servant if not an enemy, while giving her a serious look. That earned a quick dismissal, given by the stern old miko.  

When the day ended she was completely drained, and eyes closed on their own. Without her noticing her hanyou had prepared her futon8 in the same manner than the night before. He nudge her to get to bed with his hands her lower back. She mumbled some kind of refusal but obeyed and quickly settled in her bedding, the kit followed soon after and Inuyasha took his place beside her, leaning on the nearest wall and waiting for her hand and taking it as soon as she offered it.

All this happened in front of the old miko who looked at them with sad eyes. She didn’t want to make things difficult for them after all they went through. But there are more important things that must be done. She sigh feeling worried again. A soft gruff voice sounded across the hut.

“Go to sleep old hag… and stop worrying” she looked up to the silver haired man and nod seeing his golden eyes serious on her.

On the third day she woke up already tired. One of the village’s elders came to the hut when the day light was barely visible, asking to see the hanyou. He looked at her before letting go of her hand missing her warmth instantly. He got up mumbling something about annoying villagers and went out to meet the elder.

Kagome knew Inuyasha was irritated, but for what she could hear which was mostly their tones and not words, he was talking to the elder rather politely and listening patiently to whatever the man was telling him. After a long pause and a loud sigh from the hanyou he said loud and clear.

“Yeah. Yeah I’ll do it. I’ll get going right away” The elder thank him profusely and walked away.

Before crossing the door Inuyasha say to the old miko “Old hag make something to eat. The kit and I are going somewhere today” Inuyasha sat down beside her again, nod at her in a _good morning_ manner and payed attention to the Kitsune. Shippou who was wide awake since the elder’s arrival just nodded to him and squared his little shoulders. Now the kit was a man with a mission.

Kagome looked around wondering what was happening, she was about to say something to Inuyasha when Kaede asked for her help and kept her busy.

She was happy to know the villagers had opened their arms to Inuyasha, at least enough to relay on him. As fast as they were done with the food both demons stood up ready to go. Shippou said good bye happily and took off.

Inuyasha turned to her and stared into her eyes, “we’ll be back tonight. Be careful.” and walked out. After their departure Kaede and Rin began to clean everything from breakfast leaving her in the hut to rest a bit more. She began to feel lonely. She knew it was childish of her to be like this while everybody was doing something. They had responsibilities and could not always babysit her. But she was feeling left out. She shook her head trying to take those somber thoughts out.

She concentrated her attention on the half demon. He had change, in many ways. She smiled just thinking about him. He looked so comfortable in his skin. He had not lost his temper once in the last two days. He didn’t speak much, actually never had, he was the most talkative when they were alone. A soft blush crept on her cheeks thinking about getting some time alone with him, just to talk, just to be together a little more. And those looks... Those looks made her feel all warm and fuzzy. She noticed how he was trying to make her feel welcome and include her in every way possible. She smiled again wondering what he would say if they were alone. Would he give her some smoldering look or actually tell her what was on his mind. Giggling softly she realized she didn’t care much what he did, she just wanted him.

She heard the old miko enter the hut, without Rin. Kaede sat in front of her with a serious look. Kagome instantly sat upright losing the smile and payed attention to her.

“Child…” The miko started with a slow voice. “It may not be the best time to tell you this. You came to us few days ago… but this is important.” The miko rested her hands on her stiff legs and sighed.

“What is wrong Kaede?” Kagome was worried for her. She knew the miko was never dramatic and didn’t like to make others worry.

“I’m truly sorry child. Sorry to give you this heavy burden and make things difficult for you. But I need to tell you this now that Inuyasha is away.” A brief smile appeared in her lips before continuing “I know this hanyou of yours won’t leave you alone anytime soon if he can help it. That is the reason I’m saying this now. And I’m truly sorry, child.” The old miko’s eyes fixated on Kagome’s with an unspoken plea.

“… I’m old Kagome, this last seasons have been hard on this old body of mine. And my time in this land is almost over.” Kagome interrupted her with a preoccupied voice and reached for one of the miko’s hands.

“You are still strong Kaede. Don’t give up! Please don’t give up...” The young woman’s eyes were watery and her voice trembled.

“Oh! Child. I’m not going to try to go on my own means...” Kagome took a long breath while the old miko looked at her with affection. “Few moons back my sister visited me...” Kagome let out a gasp and her eyes went wide, “she came to me in my dream” Kaede smiled softly. “She had never come before. She told me it was almost time for me to join her in peace.”

A slightly cold hand came over the one Kagome was holding and pressed. “I refused to go and told her I could not leave the village without a healer”. She pressed Kagome’s hand again. “My sister told me everything would be all right and smiled to me… I tried to dismiss the omen. But now that you are back I realized what my sister meant.”

Kagome stared at the old miko feeling lost “What do you mean?”

Kaede smiled lovingly “I mean that I am still here because is my final job to train you. At least to see you start your training.”

Tears were running down the young miko’s cheeks and sobbed quietly. Kaede patted their joined hands “but not worry about this child. It is my time to go. And makes me happy to know someone as loving and powerful is going to take care of our village” The young woman smiled between sobs. “The reason I’m sorry about is that we will have to train you fast, and you need to learn the most you can in the fewest moons possible”

Kagome only said one word “we?” Kaede nodded “Yes, the monk and me, we need to train you in the healer and miko arts. Truthfully that monk has more training and sacred powers than me.”

Kagome took a little time before staring into the miko’s eyes with determination “I’ll do it Kaede. I will do everything possible and learn everything you teach me.”

Kaede nodded again and added softly “only one more thing, child…” Kagome went back to feeling worried and waited for the other woman to continue “… nobody but you and the monk can know why we do this… that is important for me”.

The raven haired woman looked confused and felt somewhat sick in her stomach. She hated secrets, she really did. “But why? I’m sure everyone will understand”

“This is the last favor I’m going to ask from you. I don’t want to be seen with pity or worry on my last days. It would make it too difficult to bear… please promise this child”

Kagome saw how the strong miko she knew turned into a defeated woman in one second. The haunted look in her eyes was strong enough to make her go against her instincts. Kagome knew how much this elder woman had exert herself all this years to carry her sister’s duty and Kagome understood why she wanted to be remembered as a strong and brave miko and not like a near-dead old lady.

“I promise you Kaede, I will not say a word about it” Kagome vowed with a contrite voice.

They were sitting in silence when Rin came back with a smile in her pretty face. “Kagome! So good you are still inside!” She said sitting next to the young miko.

“You needed something Rin?”

The teenager somehow managed to smile even wider and shook her head. “It’s _you_ who needs something, Kagome!”

It was easy to feel at ease with Rin and without noticing it Kagome was smiling back, “and what is this _something_ I need?”

“You need to change and put on pretty clothes” The teenager chirped.

“And why is that?” Kagome asked curiously. Rin stayed quiet and pensive for as second as if deciding on something “Well you just do! And because Lord Seshoumaru has given me so many and they are soo pretty I’ll let you wear one of mine”

The teenager stood up and went to a big chest on back of the hut. “Come Kagome, we need to choose one and go to get clean” She followed the girl and became speechless went she saw all the clothes she had inside. Those were kimonos and by the looks of it every kind of kimono on every color combination and pattern possible.

“So… We need to choose one that helps you with the cold at night and…” the girl started to pour everything on the floor careful but fast. Kagome could only looked amazed at the little girl. Rin was speaking to herself while moving her clothes “this is lilac… no this no, maybe, no not this…” Rin suddenly hollered bringing Kagome back “This!, This is the one! This is perfect for you Kagome! Just LOOK at it… is perfect” She finished in awe.

It was a beautiful Kimono, she relaxed when realized it was not one of the formal ones. She smiled and nod. It was indeed perfect. It was a soft cream fabric with sakuras, the sakuras were in a sort of lilac kind of pink and others where red. The obi was red with sakuras printed in contrast. She could see why Rin said it was perfect. The shade of red in both the obi and the sakuras where the same as Inuyasha’s haori. Rin chose one for her and put every other back.

And quickly they were at the river, taking a bath in the clear water. Rin was immerse in taking care of her hair and Kagome was merely happy to be able to wash herself after two days. She sighed, this was one of the things she had to get used to. Occasional bathing and no indoor plumbing, but she would manage.

Her thoughts turned dark when she remembered the conversation with the miko. Thinking about Kaede’s passing made her feel utterly sad. She was their support in many ways, always there to help them, to listen, to share words of wisdom. She was their Kaede. She was the one responsible for hers and Inuyasha’s journey, she made the team, the team that became her family. Kagome knew it was not only her opinion, everyone in the village depended in some way on the miko. Her eyes were fixated on a point in the horizon, oblivious of what was happening around her.  Kagome knew that when the passing occurred, it would affect everyone dearly. Her heart clenched thinking about the silver haired man, Kaede was the only real connection with his past on this village and it had been because of her that the whole pack as now welcomed in the village.

A flash of water was her only warning before getting soaked by Rin “I was calling you and you just stayed there not moving!” The teenager said with a smile. Kagome turned to her moving her now very wet and dripping bangs out of her eyes and stared angrily. “Don’t be angry Kagome, you were already wet… I just helped you” she finished mischievously.

Kagome reached for the girl and tried to push her into the water, Rin pushed against her and quickly they were fighting for dominance. “Fine, fine. I.. give… up!” Said Kagome with a raspy and ragged voice. Rin laughed and started to walk to their clothing.

“Let’s go Kagome… Hurry or we’ll be late!” The younger woman was rapidly drying and putting on a plain yukata.

“Late for what?” The miko asked while imitating her actions.

“Late… late for dinner!”  Rin voice was changing tones and looked everywhere but her. Kagome arched a brow and stared at her. Rin was trying her hardest not to say anything but Kagome was making it difficult, so she took her clothes and started walking.

“Come on Kagome!” She was moving fast and the young miko started following soon after.

They arrived to Kaede’s hut. The old priestess was sleeping in the back, and they changed into their fancy clothes as soundless as possible. Rin took Kagome´s attire and presented it to her. The teenager was almost vibrating with excitement. Kagome smiled and let Rin help her with the dress. After she was ready the younger girl circled her happily and whispered in her ears “wait for him to see you!” Rin giggled and went to get dress. Leaving Kagome feeling butterflies in her stomach and smiling expectantly. Kagome decided to only comb her hair leaving it bright and soft.

Rin dressed herself in a soft lilac kimono with honeycombs on dark purple. “You look beautiful, Rin!” The girl looked at the young miko with wondering eyes. Kagome smiled at her and nodded “You are beautiful, Rin…you truly are”. The girl sat beside Kagome and started to fix her hair, putting it up on a high pony tail and leaving her neck visible.

“You look very well, Children” She soft voice of the miko came to them. They saw Kaede sitting against the wall and looking at them with a tender expression.    

There was too much noise outside, it had been noisy for a while and Kagome knew they were keeping something from her when she offered to go and look what it was and Rin jumped to the door and told her really energetically she would go and Kagome should rest a little more. 

After a while Sango and her children came to the hut, Kagome suspected it was a way to keep her occupied so she pretended to be oblivious to their intentions and joined in the conversation.

Sango told her how the twins had been as babies and the differences with the little boy. She was getting into how she realized she was pregnant the first time when the door’s curtain moved letting through the hanyou with the kitsune on his shoulder.

Inuyasha entered the hut and scanned the occupants but his eyes stopped on Kagome, she was wearing the kimono, it was the first time she used something from this time since she came back. It made her skin glow, he could see the soft blush on her cheeks getting darker under his stare. Her hair looked soft and glossy, curling beautifully at the tips. Her eyes were sparkling open to him.cx

Without stop looking at Kagome he spoke to the whole room. “Out! Everything is ready.” Sango took her children and went out pushing playfully the hanyou to the side and smiling. Kaede stood up slowly helped by Rin, both were smiling and Rin was giggling mouthing softly “I knew he would like that on her”.

Shippou went to Kagome who was the only one still sitting, and before she could ask what was ready, the kitsune was in front of her with his amazingly green eyes smiling to her “You look amazing Kagome!” She finally broke the connection with Inuyasha to look at the little kit “Really pretty! You must be the prettiest girl in the party!” Shippou was moving his arms around him merrily showing her the size of the party.

“Oi, runt! Go help the others!” Inuyasha said gruffly. The kitsune puffed his chest and turn to defy him. “I will go when I want to!” Inuyasha started to go after the kit when Kagome spoke “Shippou, you won’t help the villagers?” the kitsune became flustered and started to nod repeatedly “of course I will!” He turned to Inuyasha “But not because you said so, dog!” Shippou made a face mocking at the dog demon and raced outside to avoid getting hit by Inuyasha.

“So…” Kagome said playfully “what’s with this party? Is this why Rin had me on house arrest all afternoon?”

Inuyasha smirked “Keh!, I don’t know what you’re talking about wench” He offered his hand to stand up, she reached for him and grabbed his hand. Kagome looked at him “Oh you know nothing then?”

Inuyasha pulled her up carefully and turned to the door, not letting go of her hand. “Shippou was right…” he muttered just before going out. She blushed rapidly.

Kagome’s face was still bright red when the elders came to them to announce the beginning of the welcome celebration the villagers where having in her name. She looked around and found the amused faces of their friends, they knew the blush was not because the party.

She thank them profusely and they guide her and Inuyasha to the center of the banquet they prepared. The elder that went to Kaede’s in the morning started talking loud so everyone could hear “Today we rejoice in celebration because the Miko Kagome, the last protector of the Shikon no Tama, the one and only  powerful enough to destroy the jewel, the reincarnation of the great miko Kikyou… has come back to us!” The villagers cheered, and Kagome felt really uncomfortable. Inuyasha felt her discomfort and slowly got closer to her and the hold on her hand tightened slightly. Kagome sighed hoping the introduction finished fast.

The elder continued after the villagers went quiet again “she came back to be part of this community, to be one of us. And as one of us we will welcome her…” The elder stopped for a brief moment and looked at Kagome, and then to Inuyasha, glancing almost imperceptibly fast at their joined hands before continuing with the speech “…and everyone who comes with her as one of us as well!” The villagers cheered again and the rest of the elders motioned them to the villagers who congratulated her again.

Kagome and Inuyasha waited for everyone in the party to come over and speak with the young miko. When the only ones left were their friend they finally took another tired sigh.

Miroku was the first to reach them, he had the twins in his arms and an amused smirk in his face “Welcome to the village young powerful miko” His smirk became a mocking smile when he turned to Inuyasha “and the one who comes with you…”

Inuyasha growled low to the monk as Kagome blushed once again. But before they could retort his wife elbowed him in the ribs, hard. “Behave Miroku…”

Sango turned to them still eyeing at her husband but spoke to them in a happy voice “did you like the surprise, Kagome?”

“It is really thoughtful of them…” Kagome smiled looking around. Observing how they had even decorated part of the village, making a big bonfire in the center, using it to cook the game they had hunted, she started counting and realized there were more than ten boars, and in another smaller bonfire there were many fish waiting to be cooked.

“You and Shippou went hunting and fishing for this…” she turned to look at the silver haired man. He looked away and blushed, ignoring her question.  Kagome smiled brightly and got closer to him. “Thank you…” she whispered before returning to Sango.

“It looks great, they worked hard to make this…” Sango smiled again and waited for Kagome to continue, her brow furrowed and look at her worried “The speech made me feel uncomfortable… but it was kind of sweet, in a weird way”

Miroku snickered behind his wife. Sango gave him a death glare and he started to talk to the twins about being well behaved children. Both Miroku and Sango had realized how the elder had practically announced the miko and her hanyou’s betrothed status. But apparently they had been distracted with the mention of the dead miko.

“I’m hungry…” Inuyasha declared and started walking to the bonfire dragging Kagome. Sango smiled and let them get away, she turned to her husband with a happy smile. “What does my lovely wife want to eat?” Miroku asked sweetly. “Let’s eat later, I want to sit a little bit” Answered Sango and Miroku  nodded and started to walk towards a small bench on the wall of a hut.

Inuyasha didn’t stop until they were in front of the bonfire. Before asking for food they were given  pieces of roasted meat. Kagome thanked the ladies, Inuyasha began walking again looking for a place to sit. His eyebrow began twitching when they had to stop for the umpteenth time because of some villager asking if they were having a good time. Suddenly he gave her his food and let go of her hand. She looked at him surprised and gasped when he carried her in his arms and jumped.

He was jumping on the roofs, and found one where they could be hidden without missing the view of the celebration, after all, it was a celebration for her. He help her to sit on the roof and sat down beside her. She smiled, feeling happy with his attentions and handed him the food.

With a comfortable silence they ate their food. After finishing Inuyasha stretched and laid down with a pleased smile in his face. She put her knees up and hugged them, resting her face on them. She sighed pleased with the scenery. A soft smile appeared on her face thinking how she was really back, and how lucky she was to be welcomed by these people and how she would do everything in her power to repay their confidence in her.

Inuyasha stared at her profile watching all those different emotions cross her face, a smile adorned her face and he could finally relax.

Kagome was watching the celebration and her eyes met the old miko’s, she nodded to Kagome and smiled sadly. The smiled on Kagome disappeared knowing that soon, moments like this would not be possible anymore. Knowing soon she would have to start training and her priorities had to change.

She took a deep breath and shook her head. Inuyasha felt the movement and opened one eye again, seeing her expression grim he started to ask “Kagome… what’s...” Kagome laid down beside him and smiled, surprising him. “I love the sky of this time…” she searched for his hand and grabbed it firmly. Inuyasha looked at her confused. “Do you know why I like it so much?” Kagome asked sweetly ignoring the questioning look on the hanyou’s face. Inuyasha only shook his head slowly while looking at her eyes.

She looked up and a bright smile showed in her face again “It looks so big, and there are so many stars I can’t help to think there are many wishes to make… and many dreams to come true”

She turned her head to him and smiled lovingly. He softly smiled back and turned to the sky. She knew soon she had to separate from him to get trained. But at least today she would embrace all the happiness she could, and vowed to enjoy these moments at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and stay with this chapter until the end.   
> This chapter was only possible thanks to my incredible friend Grapefruitwannabe, the one who helps me with this awkward English.
> 
> Love,  
> Nanna


	3. Cleansing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome starts her training as a miko, exploring the nature of her powers when unexpected things start to happen. Kaede starts to wonder if the hanyou is related to the events.

**~Memories of Us~**

 

  **Cleansing**

 

The morning sun found a raven haired woman dressed in traditional miko garments arguing with a certain silver haired hanyou.

“Inuyasha… I’m telling you, the only thing I’m gonna be doing with Kaede is a cleansing ritual.” She stared at his scowling face before sighing “nothing to worry about.”

“Keh!... the hell there’s nothing to worry about!” he got a step closer trying to make her understand his point “Wench! You were gone for far too long for you to be taking off on your own!” at the end of his argument his tone changed making him sound as worried as he was trying to hide.

Kagome’s chest felt heavier for a moment and almost gave in. But she knew that giving him what he wanted now meant he would not let her do anything on her own in the near future. She straightened her back and started again with her calm but firm voice.

“I know, I was gone for well…it was a really long time. And I know you are worried about me” he blushed but didn’t deny it. “But I need to do this… I need to start training as a miko.” She reached for one of his hands that were crossed on his chest “I need to belong, to be part of the village”

Inuyasha turned to the side, looking at the woods. The woods she needed to go through to get to the waterfall where the ritual was going to be performed. With his ear still turned to Kagome. “I know all that wench.” Kagome relaxed thinking she had made her point.

He moved rapidly and look at her again. “Still… going with the babaa alone is too dangerous. I’m not letting ya go there.” The last sentence was enunciated in such way Kagome felt her anger flow around her. And Inuyasha felt a shiver across his back.

Kagome broke contact with him and raised her hand pointing one finger to his face. “You are not letting me?” Inuyasha started to feel nervous “letting me? As in: giving me permission?” The hanyou took a step back trying to make the space between them bigger, same step Kagome took toward him. “Listen to me Inuyasha! I will do this. And you have no word in this!” she was fuming. “I will do this today and for many more days as I need it. And you are no part of this!”

Kagome was expecting some kind of angry retort from the hanyou, or maybe an interruption of her speech. But not the sudden defeated expression that crossed his face before it became guarded. She changed her tone for one gentler.

“I know you want to keep me safe and close, but I really need to feel useful. I need to belong here. If I don’t I could never call it home.” His face was still impassible but his shoulders were squared again. “I want to make a home here…” and with the softest voice she could muster, she added. “…with you.”

She was looking at him with her gray eyes begging. He sighed. He knew she had won the discussion. With blushed cheeks and bright eyes looking around her but not at her, he finally complied “Keh… go and do your thing wench.”

Kagome jumped in excitement and hugged him. “Thank you, Inuyasha” before letting go of him she stretched little bit and pecked him on the cheek. Too soon for him, her arms let him go and she went running to the waterfall, leaving the hanyou behind feeling her lingering touch.

Just as she was disappearing into the woods she heard his gruff voice shouting “I will still be around, wench!” she turned around, knowing that with his hanyou vision he could still see her in the partial darkness. She nodded and waved goodbye, smiling to see him waving back as he turned and started to walk back to the village. She shook her head to clear her head and started moving again. Kaede had been waiting for her before dawn.

She smiled at the memory. The plans to start with the ritual were set yesterday as the hanyou was out doing his nocturnal round. Kaede would go out leaving a miko uniform outside the hut. And the old miko would wait at the waterfall. Later Kagome would go outside, get changed and meet up with her. No one was to know of their plans. They would perform the ritual and comeback before the usual time for breakfast. But they missed a detail, a very protective and overbearing hanyou detail, with his very hanyou-ish senses.

So, when Kaede went out his ears started to flick around. Kagome tried to get up, putting Shippou on the bedding softly with her free hand, and when she tried to let go of the silver haired man’s hand, she realized a very reflective golden eyes were staring at him and his hand was not letting hers go. She pointed to the door with her head, he grunted and let go of her hand. She knew he was thinking she needed to relieve her bladder.

But when the sound of different fabrics moving and no “relieving” happened before she walked away from the hut. The hanyou stalked behind her. Finding at the outskirts of the forest.

Kagome chuckled remembering the hanyou's face when she turned to talk to him. He had this special kind of surprise where nervousness, excitement and worry were mixed making him look like a confused puppy. He had recovered rapidly and with his unique brand of tact he had said “Oi  Kagome what’cha wearing?” she had smiled and explained most of it to him. Letting him know she would join him for breakfast. And not telling him that she had training with Miroku in the afternoon. Obviously he didn’t take it well, as expected and his discussion had started.

She reflected that actually that was a very good conversation. Still she was sure it was not going to be the last of today.

She finally reached the waterfall. Kaede was waiting for her in the closest part possible to the waterfall without getting into the water. She was wearing a plain white yukata.

“Inuyasha found out…” Kaede declared without even bothering to make it a question. Kagome nodded and went to change.

“Child… do you feel good enough in the miko garments to wear it all day?” the old miko’s voice was serious as if a hidden meaning was imbedded in the question.

Kagome thought it for a moment and answered as truthful as she could “I could try it out for some days… If it feels weird I’ll say something” Kaede nodded and when Kagome was ready she started to walk to the waterfall.

The young woman shivered as she entered the water. She didn’t think this was going to be this cold. It was practically freezing. She looked at the old woman, who was walking effortlessly looking for a good rock formation and a soft current.

The old miko called her and showed her the correct pose. “To perform this you need to empty your mind and find a special kind of rest where you let your energy flow and welcome the pure energy from nature” Kagome nodded between shivers.

Kaede walked to the place she deemed appropriate and helped Kagome to position herself.

Kagome sat down below the stream and for a moment her breath halted feeling the cold around her flowing. It was only her will what kept her still. She heard the voice of the miko “concentrate on the purity of the nothingness”.

More than three years ago in a conversation Kaede talked to the Inu-gang abut _nothing_ and _the nothingness._ She explained how _nothing_ was a place that contained something, an absence of things but _the nothingness_ is the complete and absolute absence of even _nothing_. The main difference is how _the nothingness_ can be filled with anything, like energy, but _nothing_ cannot be filled because is already filled by the absence of things and has the ghosts of the things that were there before. And only the _nothingness is a fertile place for meditation._

Kagome tried to concentrate, emptying her mind and just feeling the water flow around her. Slowly her breathing became less erratic as the body stopped paying attention to the cold. Slowly she was capable of deep, long, slow breaths.

In her mind a slow calmness started to come over her. In her mind’s eye she could see the white pure energy the water carried around her, taking her worries with it. She could feel how her body was cleaner, and lighter. The sensation was liberating, she felt part of everything that was around her, part of the original order of nature. She was a working part of the system, in harmony with every other part.

She was indulging in following the white, pure flow of energy the river carried when a small dot outside of the stream became too interesting and closer, she could see the small form, nothing compared to the immensity of the flow of energy. She knew it was not part of the ritual to focus on something that particular. But she needed to go to that energy.  She felt the energy so different from herself, the energy was moving but not flowing, she could almost touch this energy, she could… if she tried hard enough. She needed to get close, to touch that energy.

Kaede was watching the young miko, and suspected something was not normal when she started to feel an unusual amount of sacred energy travel in the stream. The old miko called Kagome, but she didn’t answered and didn’t even flinch. She tried to reach her, when the water covering her repelled her. Kaede was worried about what her untrained powers could do if they ran freely.

Kagome was focusing on touching that energy, she could finally separate partially from the stream and touch it. That red hot and ever-moving energy reached for hers instantly. Suddenly Kagome could see the energy, the red energy slowly became a crouching figured, with silver on top. She noted it was a person, a man. She stared at him fascinated with the color of his hair.

Inuyasha felt a presence behind him. He tried to sniff without moving too much, no smell came to him, only the river and the woods registered in his nose. His ears flicked in every direction but no sound of crushed grass, steps or paws came to him either. He prepared to attack and turned to confront the presence. His eyes opened wide and his arms lost the fighting stance. Kagome’s image was in front of him, she was not touching the field, her figure was white and he could not see real substance in her. Her eyes were full of wonder but lacking something in them, this was not the way Kagome looked at him.

“Kagome...?” he whispered in a deep voice. Staring into those golden orbs she didn’t listened to his voice. The second time she did listen but this time his voice was treaded with fear “Kagome… why are you like this?”

The moment she heard her name all sense of individuality and the knowledge she was a person different from the stream broke the connection with the energy, making the connection with the man impossible to continue.

Inuyasha saw the translucent white figure of Kagome disappear and ran the fastest he could to the place he knew both mikos were training. Not bothering to even look at the old priestess he got into the water and reached for Kagome.

“Inuyasha! Don’t touch her, she could purify you!” Kaede said but his entire attention was on the immobile miko under the waterfall.

“Kagome!” He said getting close to her. She open her eyes at the same time he touched her, bringing her out of the stream and sitting with her in his lap on the grass where the clothes were.

Kagome smiled gently at him “that was great!” Her smile faded when she noticed the scowling face of her hanyou “Great?! Great?! What the hell was that Kagome?” His voice raised with each word.

The young miko looked pensive to the stream and laid further into the hanyou embrace. “I don’t know… It felt truly great.” She moved her head to look into his preoccupied eyes “But I found you” She smiled at him.

Before he could ask further the old miko joined and sat in front of them. “Child, you must not do that again” She admonished softly.

“But, Kaede… I don’t know what I did” Kagome answered trying to move from the hanyou’s arms but he grunted and tightened his hold on her. She debated for less than a second about moving but she let him win and rested her back on his chest. He rewarded her with a short rumble of appreciation.

Nothing of this short wordless discussion was lost to the miko who looked at them with accusing eyes. “Instead of using the energy of the river to cleanse yourself, you used it to play.” She shook her head slowly “You gave the river part of your energy to look for him”. Kagome’s brow furrowed. “Child, you have too much power to be safe to play with it. Your sacred energy is raw and it does not know how to work on its own.” The old miko sighed “If you play with it you may cause yourself and your loved ones much pain” She looked at Inuyasha, then at Kagome, thinking he would back down or flush under her stare as years before. But with joy she realized he was looking at her accusingly, maybe for making Kagome feel bad.

“Tell me what you saw Inuyasha” The hanyou looked at the miko in his arms and he told her everything he felt, including the lack of sound or scent. Kagome told both of them how she had felt Inuyasha’s energy and it called to her, but she didn’t recognize him until he said her name. When they both finished with the explanations, they gave the old miko expectant looks.

Kaede sighed tired “Looks like she used her powers to let part of her become a part of the river for some time, and used the river to find you.” The old miko stood up slowly and started to pick up her clothing “this is something dangerous, it you let other’s energy call to you and you go willingly, part of you can go missing. I’m not strong enough to do that, but my sister always told me to avoid merging completely with the nature’s energy. Nature is the strongest of energies and can take part of you effortlessly. You need to focus on the meditation, not looking for someone.”

Kagome looked down ashamed. Inuyasha glared at the old miko. “That’s is why as long as you are not strong enough to keep yourself from that kind of danger” Kaede look back at Inuyasha “Inuyasha will be away from your training places” Inuyasha started to show his fangs when she continued “Yours is the only energy or presence she would seek and the only one she would willingly follow. If you want her safe you will be away from her training.”

The hanyou stared at her for a long time before nodding.

The old miko walked away with her clothes and got into her miko garments while the young couple was still immersed in their thoughts. She sighed again and walked to the villages, alone.

Kagome’s soft voice interrupted his somber thoughts. “I still think that finding you like that is amazing” she smiled looking at him with a smile in her lips. He didn’t answer the smile. She noticed the seriousness on his face and raised a hand to caress his cheek. He lowered his head almost touching hers.

“Just don’t do it again…” His voice was more deep vibrations in his chest that actual sound. He rested his forehead on hers. “What if you lose that part of yourself when merged with the river?”

His eyes glowed with ghosts of the past, for him the separation of her soul because of her reincarnation was still fresh. “You have already lost part of yourself before…”

Kagome gasped when the real meaning of his words hit him. He looked so worried and scared she wanted to comfort him. “I’ll be careful… I promise” she answered with a soft voice at the same time she raised a hand to the back of his neck and closed her lips on his.

At the moment he felt her silky lips on his he responded to the kiss, tilting his head to have better access to her. Her lips were timid moving tentatively on his, he almost purred when her tongue touch him, his arms pressed her against him and she moaned into the kiss. The kiss became passionate fast, their breath labored and their hearts racing on their chests.

The sound of a throat being cleaned, didn’t get to them, so he decided to throw a small rock to the hanyou’s head. He wasn’t stupid enough to get close to him now.

The kiss was abruptly finished with a feral roar. Kagome jumped in his embrace at the sudden change of mood. Then she hear a bright voice.

“I tried to wait for you to react but you two getting a little too into…” the little Kitsune motioned with the head back to them. Inuyasha blushed and hid Kagome’s flustered face with his chest.

The kit was standing at their side with a few meters of distance. “Go away runt!”

Shippou smiled cheeky and shook his head “Nope, Kaede told me to bring you because breakfast is ready and Kagome needs to eat” Inuyasha blushed when the kit tried to peek at Kagome and then he smiled knowingly. No kid should be able to do that face he thought.

Kagome moved away from the hanyou, her face was slightly pink but she smiled “Thank you Shippou, let’s get going”. The hanyou stood up and walked to the village with Kagome’s hand in his and the little Kitsune on his shoulder.

 

The afternoon was incredible tiresome for her. The monk told her that after Kaede told him about the river incident the most important thing was to learn how to call and control the amount of energy used.

And the first exercise was to call her powers and pour them into her hands without attacking. She was bothered because Miroku had pushed the hanyou away telling him that if he didn’t a barrier would be erected.

The explanation was simple. The execution was the tricky part. The practice would finish when she could complete the series three times.

The first part was to call her powers. She had never done it willingly without some kind of life threat. She tried to remember Miroku’s words. “The power is within you, what you need is to find it, where does it rest, after that you need to build a path to make the access easier. You already did that with the arrows. But this time is without channeling into something. Once you build that path bring the energy to your hands. First to both of your hands, only your hands, then to only one and finish with the other. When you do that series three times, you can go home.” He waved goodbye and left.

It was late afternoon when the monk came back and asked her how it was working. She was angry at him for his lazyness.

“How do you think?” she asked with the sarcasm dripping from her words “If you didn’t tell me how to reach my powers. I’ve never been trained in this kind of things!”

Miroku didn’t say a thing before sitting down facing her “my apologies for that, a great oversight indeed” he looked at her apologizing and most of her anger went away “to reach your power we can try to do something like the waterfall meditation but instead of focusing on the flow, let’s focus inside ourselves and look for the pure energy inside. Close your eyes and mind your breathing”

She did as told. With closed eyes and soon she found a white bright energy inside. Her first instinct was to pull but she realized the more she pulled the harder it was to touch it. Then she tried to invite the energy out, channeling calm and love into the light. A sudden bolt of energy came to her. When she opened her eyes her body was glowing with a pinkish white light, illuminating the praying space they were using.

She looked at Miroku, who was pleased to see her fast results. “Congratulations. Faster than I thought. Very good indeed”

Kagome smiled to the happy monk. “Now, what we need is that energy only on your hands. Try to picture it in your mind and wish for it.” Kagome nodded.

She tried to picture her hands glowing and the rest of her body without light. The glowing faded slowly as she pictured her hands glowing, she felt the energy moving to her hands but the glow also faded.

“Let’s try it again” announced Miroku when Kagome’s face turned serious. “Call the energy and from the beginning imaging it only on your hands” Kagome noticed how Miroku’s voice was deep, silky and firm. The instruction were clear and precise. She nodded and closed her eyes again.

By the time she managed to do the three series the night had fallen upon the village, and the Monk offered to walk her home.

“How are you feeling?” asked the monk as they walk side by side.

Kagome smiled looking at the ground “A little tired but excited…It’s the first time I did something with my powers at will” she turned to the monk “I can’t wait to learn everything else I can do”

Miroku smiled at her with pride “You will be capable of many great things, I am sure”. His face became serious “I recommend you to be careful, the more you are in touch with your powers the easy they will work on their own, if you are not careful intense emotion can call out to them and hurt someone around you… and the most vulnerable to your sacred powers is our dear  Inuyasha”.

Kagome nodded pensive. He was right, she must be calm until her powers are at check.

“Besides… Inuyasha will not stay still when the object of his affection is taken away from him… even if he knows is necessary.” He gave her a sly smile “Speaking of him, here he comes”

Inuyasha was stalking towards them with a frown and a scowl. Kagome ignored the hanyou’s sour mood and smiled at him. Before he arrived the monk called to him.

“Could not wait anymore for our return, my friend?” Miroku said with a mocking tone.

“Can it, bouzu!” was the only greeting he got from Inuyasha. Kagome waited for Inuyasha to stand by her side and take her hand. She turned to the silver haired man waiting for him to say something. “Are you done?”

She nodded “for today at least, I am”. Inuyasha grunted in acceptance.

“Now that I am not needed anymore. I’ll see you tomorrow my friends.” He turned to leave in direction to his home, he bid his good bye saying “Enjoy this beautiful night” he finished with his trademark perverted tone.

“Just go already!” Hurried Inuyasha with his own gruff tone.

When the monk was out of view they started the way to Kaede’s hut talking about what they did on their day.  Kagome excitedly showing what she could do and Inuyasha sulking because he had to babysit most of the afternoon.

The way home reminded Kagome how It could be in her own time, walking to their home after work hand in hand sharing their day. She hoped everyday could end this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter starts Kagome’s transformation as a true miko. She has always had this enormous powers inside of her but only in extreme distress can she reach them. I like the idea of Kagome not only being a healing miko, but as a powerful being. I have this headcanon where Kagome’s powers are not entirely sacred, as Kikyo’s were, I mean she was born with the Shikon no Tama inside, and never noticed something different from the rest. So part of this story is to explore (one of my ideas) of the nature of her powers. 
> 
> I’m sorry if you think this is slow, I know it is but this development is needed in the next part of the story.
> 
> Thank you for staying with me until the end of this chapter (hugs and kisses for all of you) 
> 
> I appreciate every review, thank you very much for taking the time to write something back and tell me what you think of all this.
> 
> Nanna


	4. Barriers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is the first new moon since their reunion and Kagome is running late.

**~Memories of Us~**

 

**4\. Barriers**

 

 

The hanyou sighed. The last couple of weeks had been difficult. For both of them. Kagome trained almost every day from dawn and finished well after dark. He had been diligent about picking her up. Sometimes she was so tired he had to carry her on his back, he wasn’t complaining, it was something he offered every night actually. But he didn’t like the fact that the old hag and the bouzu were working her out like that. Besides she never, never complained! Never! As if it wasn't burning her out like a candle!

He knew Kagome had a big heart. She really did. His cheeks got hot and he smirked thinking it was good he was alone on the Goshimboku’s higher branches, shielded from curious eyes. He nestled on the branch again thinking his miko had the biggest heart in the world.

Just thinking about it ‘his miko’ made the heat in his cheeks go up to his ears. He flicked his fluffy ears around trying to cool them. Neither Kagome nor he had said anything concrete about what would happen after she finished her training. Damn training! But he was sure after she finished the only thing needed was to build their home. He felt a giggle coming to his lips and muffled clearing his throat. A house, and the only thing standing between them would be the lack of courage to ask her to be with him as… The heat was starting to get too intense on his cheeks. He cleared his throat again. …to be with him as husband and wife.

The thought gave him a shiver of expectation and he had a stupid grin in his lips. He frowned again. They needed a house… If they needed a hut he would be the one building his family home. There was the heat in his ears again.

The thought of having a hut of their own started to become more and more real as he focused on the situation. The hut couldn’t be around the rest of the village. It was dangerous for them and for himself. Being around them would mean risking the secret of the new moon. Beside he knew that any supernatural creature coming to the village would go first to him, being the strongest non-human occupant of this lands. He decided that building the hut in his favorite part of the forest would mean a long distance walk for Kagome every day.  He was deep in his thoughts when the voice of and elder came to his ears.

He instantly remembered why he had looked for shelter on the higher branches of the sacred tree. In was that damned elder. Since Kagome came back that group of old wrinkly humans had been demanding his attention more and more asking him, ordering was the correct word, to do stuff around the village. He didn’t like the way they were treating him, like some kind of servant. But if that made easier for Kagome to be accepted as she wanted, he would continue to do it.

Yeah, he would do it. But not right now.

Going back to the important stuff he decided the best place for the hut was close to his forest. He knew of a clearing close to the border of the forest, close enough for a quick walk to get to the village, or the Goshimboku. The clearing was partially hidden from the other humans. The hanyou smiled pleased with himself. The place for his future home was decided.

He heard the elder walk closer to the tree, still trying to not be seen, as the elder’s voice traveled to his ears. The hanyou scoffed, it was the elder he disliked the most. The old man was as ugly inside as he was outside. Being shorter than most humans, he had a bulbous appearance, starting with his balding head that still sported some grow on the sides, a swollen face that connected with his torso with something that could barely be called neck, his also bulbous torso that protruded in a way it reminded him of a very pregnant belly with more than one pup inside. The silver haired man shuddered remembering the smell that even with the multiple layers of his overly worn garments before washing never fail to sting his nose. It was the smell of old alcohol and dried sweat on dirty skin.  Inuyasha really disliked this elder.

The hanyou’s ears perked up when the word “miko” left the elder’s lips.

“That damned servant doesn’t know his place. And neither does the” the old men made a mocking sound through his nose “miko, a servant is to be controlled, and to _serve its master_. The both need to learn, and they will”

Inuyasha’s jaw clenched holding back a growl. Nobody was allowed to talk about his miko in that tone.

“I hate this fucking forest! I should not be here looking for this _hanyou._ He should be put on a leash like the dog he is! It needs a lesson, running around like a wild beast with no bounds to the village that allows him to be near.” The old man was now almost bellow the branch that hid Inuyasha, and oblivious to his presence the mean speech continued.

“And that woman even lets the dog sleep inside the hut. The next thing will be the disgrace of bedding the beast. A whoring miko!”

Inuyasha was trying his hardest to stop himself from coming down and gut the human. The man was close enough for him to kill him before he even knew hanyou was there. And in Inuyasha’s forest humans were not in frequent enough to even discover a body let alone identify it. His claws cracked ready to strike, but as easy as it may look and as easy it would be to get away with, he wouldn’t, no couldn’t do it. He was not betray the oath he made. He swore to keep the humans safe, and disposing of stupid old men, was not part of that.

When he felt his strength weaken as he lower himself silently to a branch closer to the ground, the only thing capable of stopping him again was picturing Kagome’s sad and disappointed look knowing what he planned to do. That stopped him instantly.

“That’s what this village is going to have thanks to this beast, it should have died when the last real miko was still…” The elder didn’t finish the sentence as his bulbous front made contact with the ground and a pained sound replaced the word. One of the Goshimboku’s roots had trapped his foot and he fell as big as he was.

The bitter man was still swearing under his breath before standing up when the hanyou landed graciously in front of his head. Inuyasha could not stop a grin even when his eyes showed the contained anger he felt.

“Ya need me. Old man?” Even as the elder was getting up with much difficulty Inuyasha said nothing more nor did he move a muscle to help. He only towered in front of him with an angry, mocking smirk.

The elder watch him with furious eyes and a face redder than normal “We need to knock down an old hut. The strength of a beast is needed” he finished with a bad copy of Inuyasha’s smirk.

“I have nothing to do now. I’ll go and help the weak humans. Be sure to go back to the village without kissing the ground again, old man,” Inuyasha knew how much this human liked to say the last word so he jumped to the trees before he gathered the air needed to talk. Even if he was out of the hearing range of the old man, the hanyou heard the angry words of the stupid human.

“You are nothing more than a glorified livestock, hanyou”.

Inuyasha was still seething when he reached the hut, it was easy to identify, close to the older part of the village, and this hut hadn’t been occupied since the last human of the family had died from a nasty case of flu. It had been so strong that even Kaede had kept her distance and the villagers avoided the area for a long time after he disposed of the body. The structure looked weak. He sighed, destroying it would not take the edge of his anger.

With a few punches and youki infused attacks there was no hut anymore, only a pile of broken and splintered wood left at the foundation. Without being noticed a man stood watching him until he finished and looked at his work. Surprising Inuyasha with his words “Thank you. That was fast”.

The hanyou looked at the old man. It was the elder that had organized Kagome’s welcome. This was his least disliked elder. This old man reminded him of Kaede in his manners and calmness. Still he didn’t trust him. Humans had no real loyalties and kind people could turn into enemies in a second.

His only response was a court nod in his direction and “You need something else?”

The elder shook his white haired head slowly and smiled. “We will take care of the rest.”

Inuyasha nodded again and jumped again as he saw the bulbous elder walking with much more energy he had ever saw him in the three years he had been around. He moved faster to prevent another exchange with the man and went back to the forest.

He wanted to go to Kagome, just seeing her would help to relax him, but she had forbidden his visits during training. It distracted her and although the thought of him being a distraction for her did things to his ego, her being distracted could actually prove dangerous. The other option was to visit the old hag and spend time there, but his current mood would raise questions that wasn’t ready to answer without feeling the need to shred something.

He decided it was a good time to start cutting the core structure of a hut. He went to check the place he liked and started the work. Maybe if he wore himself out it would take the edge off his thoughts. Hopefully.

 

Kagome started her day early with the cleansing ritual, being careful not to overdo it. After that first time she had been careful to stop herself from following the flow.

After she was done it was time for her training with her spiritual power. They had been working with the physical manifestation and control of the intensity used. Kaede once explained that when she could control her powers enough they could even help to heal. At least humans. She had to remember that helping Shippou and Inuyasha was not possible. At least not without hurting them.

Now she was capable of bringing her powers to a focused point on her body. She was able to project it to envelope someone or something to purify it. All this time Miroku had been the subject of their little tests.

Now her teacher, Miroku, was explaining the nature of barriers.

“During our journey we encounter different barriers, serving different purposes. The characteristics, range and purpose are the three aspects you need to think when willing a barrier to appear and sustain,” He changed his posture and clasped his hands together, he showed her both the position he had been taught in his training and the one he learned from Kaede. She copied both imitating him.

“Very well. The next thing we need to try is extending the range of your powers.” He gave her a side smile “I’m sure your range is enough to cover this entire village, but…” The playful glint in his eyes “The bigger or stronger your barrier is, the more power it will demand. Let’s start bringing your energy out of your body.”

She sat in the meditation position and listened with attention as he instructed her to close her eyes and focus on reaching for her powers.

“Now, let it envelope you completely. Imagine it around you, picture it clearly growing from your body and slowly occupying more space. Remember, you have to picture it in detail in order for it to work.”

Kagome breathed slowly trying to calm her nerves and forget the mishaps of this morning… it was not important and would not ruin her day. She breathed again, emptying her mind from distractions and followed the steps. Reach, envelope, picture, and make it grow and expand… She kept her eyes closed but the monk observed how the pink glow of her reiki enveloped, noticing how her powers seemed to be easier for her to reach, the energy started to separate from her slowly, but instead of forming the dome of a kekkai, the energy formed a ring around the woman, thickening slowly, and at the time her brow furrowed in concentration the ring quickly expanded, running through him and everything on sight.

When the energy passed, the monk could feel it was not an attack, it was more of a reckon, probing at her surroundings, he could feel the energy still expanding steadily, right now it was reaching the limits of the village. He had to stop her before she found any antagonizing presence.

“Kagome, you can stop now,” he could not feel the wave’s limit, meaning it was well inside the forest by now. “Breath and open your eyes” Her face relaxed and eyes looked at his face searching for clues regarding her performance. He opened his lips to begin when the wave came back and hit him on the back first. The ring came back to circle Kagome for a moment before entering her body. She gasped and her eyes became incredible wide.

“Are you alright, Kagome?”  She only nodded feeling her heartbeat race in her chest and her whole body covered on goosebumps. The monk looked worried at the strange expression on the miko’s face, more so when she close her grey eyes and seem to focus on something and smile.

“Kagome!” Was the greeting from the approaching hanyou. He had felt Kagome’s presence around him for a moment before the energy pulled back from where it came, he felt the need to follow and check on her. His intentions were to check on her from afar, but the shocked and preoccupied monk made impossible for him to be apart anymore.

Miroku looked up to his friend’s face, he tried to speak but was blocked by Kagome’s outburst. “I felt you! Again!” Her face lit with happiness as her eyes locked on Inuyasha’s face. He seemed to relax at her words. Inuyasha sat beside her without invitation or permission and Kagome kept her focus on him. Miroku felt ignored for a moment but his curiosity kept him from talking.

“I felt you, you were in the woods, doing something on the ground” She tilted her head “What were you doing there?”  Inuyasha looked down, searching franticly for an excuse.

“Just cutting some wood,” She tilted her head again shrugging and seemed to accept his lie with no more questions.

“Did you sense anything else?” The question came from the monk and Kagome beamed a smile on his direction. “I felt everyone in the village, Kaede is in the field with Rin, Shippou and some man, outsider perhaps, Sango at home with the children, she is cleaning as they take a nap” Both men stared at her with something that she wanted to call surprise, but wasn’t completely sure.

“Please explain…” Said the monk with his voice barely above a whisper.

“I did as you told me, and when you ordered to stop, I did and opened my eyes, then the ring appeared and as it came inside me, I saw everything that was happening in the village” She looked around, signaling the woods and the river. “I saw everything around this”.

Her smile faded when Miroku’s face became stern and Inuyasha didn’t look pleased. “I wouldn’t recommend you to try this often.” Kagome’s eyebrows went up, Miroku continued answering the unspoken question. “I was able to feel your energy and Inuyasha was too, if you come across some kind of youkai as you do…that technique…its possible your location would become known to them”. Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

As her mood grew sour, the monk stood up dismissing both of them of the training grounds. He started walking away when the little Kitsune came running.

“Miroku! Inuyasha! There is a job for you!” He said before reaching them. He automatically landed in front of Inuyasha. “A traveler came and ask for help! Kaede wants to talk to both of you!” Shippou finished and looked expectantly around him.

“Tell the old hag we’re coming,” Inuyasha told him showing his dislike of being summoned when the monk had just given them a free afternoon. Damned fucking luck. Shippou nodded with a somewhat worried face and ran back, not wanting to get involved in the situation.

The three of them reached Kaede’s hut. As usual Kagome and Inuyasha were sitting side by side, this time both of them against the side wall, with Miroku on the opposite side of the fire and Kaede with Rin facing the door. The old miko explained a visitor had come searching for shelter, and looking for help. His village had been attacked almost every day for more than a week. The outsider had explained the youkai only came at night and took one villager from their home without being seen.

“Then how do they know is a youkai and not some assassin or a bandit?” Questioned Kagome at the same time she left her head rest on Inuyasha’s shoulder. The soft grumbling in his chest only loud enough for her to notice. Kaede spoke in her calm, tired demeanor.

“I asked the same child, he said it only took one person by night but everyone else in the house becomes paralyzed for half a day.” She also said the village had no idea what kind of demon was, those were the only clues it had left behind.

Inuyasha smiled. This was a great opportunity to gain some money and use it on his little project. This way Kagome could go on her training and he could get everything else he needed for the hut without her knowledge.

“Alright we’ll go tomorrow!” He declared to the rest. Miroku looked confused, Inuyasha was known for being impatient, delaying their departure was not normal.

“It’s only noon, we can get going after lunch” Said the monk.

Inuyasha shook his head and an annoyed deep voice sounded low in the hut “I won’t be on the road tonight… Tomorrow morning is good.” The hanyou’s eyes drilled the ceiling of the hut with disgust. Kagome’s hand slid in his and clasped tightly. “This night is not safe,” was the rest of his explanation. Miroku nodded understanding the implications of his words. Tonight was a moonless night.

Kaede told them the rest of the information she gathered. The village was three towns south and it took almost five days for the man to get to this village. Inuyasha scoffed saying take three days for them to get there. Miroku agreed with him and started to discuss the kind of youkai that could be doing these kind of attacks.

After lunch they were still talking about the best strategies taking in consideration the closeness of the river and the mountain. The youkai could travel at night from afar without the humans noticing.

Kagome interrupted their brainstorming. “I will go to check on the daughter of the Mean-elder” She knew that particular elder was prone to insult her hanyou and that made easier for her to only announce her leaving without inviting him to go. He wouldn’t accept anyway. As she thought he only scoffed to no one in particular.

“It’s a waste of your time to help that family. They don’t deserve it”

She pushed the hanyou playfully as she got up faking an angry expression “Everyone deserves help and care, Inuyasha,” She smiled and winked at him “Besides, I’m helping his pregnant daughter not him…” The silver haired man blushed softly at her words, and nodded as she walked to the door. “I’ll be back before sun set”.

She heard them go back to the brainstorming as she walked to the top of the hill, the place where the three funding families lived, they were the elders. Not entirely because of their age, but for the generations of their families living in the small village.

On the way there she encountered a woman who was struggling to move water to her hut. The woman’s rounded belly making it difficult to go on her knees and pick the buckets. Without a second thought Kagome went to help her. After carrying the water, she sent the woman to rest as she fed her toddler. It was well past noon when the pregnant woman woke up and thanked the miko for her help.

Kagome kissed the baby good bye and started her way to the elder’s home. This particular elder had the biggest house of the village. She was certain that he felt like a daimyo without the real power. After announcing her presence the pregnant daughter opened the door. The elder and a stranger were on the first room, almost as if they were waiting for her. She bowed greeting them. The stranger responded in kind, the elder almost dismissing her presence with his lack of attention.

He was still talking to the other man “This is our youngest miko, she is still on training”. Kagome bowed again as she looked at the other man. He was fairly young, his frame was broad but not particularly muscular, with an incipient baldness and a crude face. Maybe the crudeness came from the way he was looking at her, his eyes were too bright with something that looked like lust. She immediately disliked the man. The sound of his voice was not better. It was deep, nasal and his words slow and dragging the sounds longer than needed.

“You are a full woman but still in training, miko?”

Said woman forced her lips to form a smile as she turned her head to the man, “I come from a distant land and I just realized of my powers and abilities,” The man appeared to accept her explanation. Before he said anything else she spoke again. “I’ll go to tend to Hisoka,” For an answer the elder moved her hand dismissing her from the room. She could still hear them when the venomous voice of the elder confided on the other man.

“She is a disgrace to the miko name.” She stopped to listen the rest of his words. “She even accepts a hanyou on her bed…a hanyou!” the other man made a surprised sound and the elder continued “A miko, bedding a hanyou!” he laughed mockingly “A miko in training huh…maybe that’s why she never uses those supposed holy powers…” His tone became joyous as he marveled at his own wit “…because there is nothing pure or holy about her,” Both men laughed.

Kagome stood outside of the room seething with rage. How dared they to say that about her? When she was in his house to check on her soon-to-be-married daughter! This was too much. Kagome was about to open the door to show them just how much real powers she had when the timid voice of Hisoka called her.

“Are you well, Lady Kagome?” The pregnant woman was incredible gentle and soft spoken. If everything went well with the pregnancy she would be living with her husband in just a few months.  Hisoka told her in one of her last visits how her beloved came to ask for her hand in marriage and after some negotiations with her father the nightly visits began. And she had also told her how she soon she got pregnant. Being an only child with only her father to take care of her left her with many doubts on what her father liked to call ‘female problems’.

Kagome smiled and searched for the woman’s face, slowly Hisoka gave her a soft smile with somewhat sad eyes. The miko walked to the younger woman’s room. It was cozy and clean. The main reason for her visit was to bring her some herbs, good for the vitamins.

The visit took longer than she expected, many question were made and honestly she didn’t have the answer half of them. She decided to write them down and ask Kaede about them later. Kagome said goodbye promising to return in a few days with some answers.

The miko looked up as she exited the house and cursed, it was almost dusk, and the reddish and violet colors in the sky meant Inuyasha was soon to come for her. She was adjusting her robes for a quick sprint when someone grabbed her by the arm. She jerked away in response.

It was the visitor, who now seemed to be inebriated, his face was flushed with a sickly spotted red and his eyes were watery and bloodshot. “Where are you running to, Miko?”

She tried to present herself calm and proper. “I’m going home, sir,” his hand moved from side to side in front of her.

“No ‘sir’ me, Kagome… Mikio is my name”

Kagome bit back a laugh. How fitting was his name ‘tree trunk man’ as he was as brilliant as his name.

“Well, Mikio. As I said, I’m going home. Good night”.

The man tried to grab her again but quickly moved out of his reach. “Going to your hanyou?” She stared ahead as she swiftly walked away. The only answer he got from her was an affirmative sound.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you woman!” Kagome groaned for two reasons. First this man was climbing up in her list of unpleasant people. And second she could feel Inuyasha’s youki closing in, the fact he remained behind the tree line and his slower pace told her the change already started. She was late!

Not stopping she walked with the man on her heels. He kept talking, she was only giving him the smallest part of her attention. She needed a safe place, and some way to make this man go away. By his lips came the answer.

“So _you_ are the miko that beds monsters!” she still didn’t answer rousing his anger to a new level “If you are capable of live with yourself after that kind of unspeakable action. I think I deserve some of your attentions.” The drunk man smiled sordidly as she finally looked at him with disgust.

A brief flare in Inuyasha’s youki told her he could hear them. She kept walking, almost reaching an abandoned hut, smiling inwardly she hear his newest insult, “I mean, at least I’m human… I could even take you with me to the village. After all, a powerless, soiled miko is no good. You could instead be a wife… of a human!” She finally stopped and turned to him with a blank expression. He interpreted as a sudden interest on his proposal.

Proud of himself he continued with his speech. “If you leave that filthy hanyou and come with me you could avoid carrying some abomination and you could even be a respectable enough wife.”

 

Kagome had enough, insulting Inuyasha when he was that close was not something they could do without retribution. She felt Inuyasha moved towards them, her head shot in his direction and with a small movement of her head he stopped. She will set this straight, if the outsider found out about Inuyasha they could have more problems.

 She looked into his eyes and tried to copy the lewdest face she could imagine. Channeling Miroku’s vibe for this.  A shudder ran through the man’s back, but too stupid to notice what was wrong he puffed his chest thinking he was going to be a lucky man tonight.

Her voice was ice and steel as she answered. “As flattered as I am with your offer... I will refuse.” The man tried to speak but her hand moved rapidly in front of his chest with her reiki glowing pink. “As you see I do have powers, so I’m still a miko,” She let her powers envelope her completely, “And about who I bed. I may bed a _filthy_ hanyou and I may plan to carry some kind of abomination” The sexy façade gone, showing only the miko’s anger in her scowling face and in the way her powers moved erratically around her. “But I will never lay with vermin… human or not”. She took a couple of step towards the man. “Oh, and my powers only harm people with ill intentions or rotten hearts… want to try them?” The almost sadistic smile in Kagome’s face was enough to make him go white and walk backwards.

“Stupid Bitch!” was his good bye before running to the elder’s house.

As her anger subsided she found the fun in the situation and a laugh that sounded slightly hysterical came from her, she was holding her sides when a set of arms took her and started moving, too fast for a human. She relaxed knowing she was safe.

She was dropped unceremoniously on her ass. Looking around she realized this was the abandoned hut. Her laugh hadn’t completely subside when Inuyasha embedded the sliding door with Tessaiga and they were instantly protected by the sword’s barrier.

The hut was small, with two windows on the side walls, letting the soft light of the moonless night in. Her eyes adapted slowly to the darkness, being able to make his form and expression but not to perceive color.

He turned to her frowning. She took her time calming herself as she drank his image. He towered her, with his customary angry expression, but now his ears were not flattened against his skull, two small elvish ears at his sides greeted her, his eyes not entirely dark yet and his hair showed a dirtier gray instead of the bright silver-almost-white. She smiled at him, at least she was present for the rest of his transformation.

“That was stupid Kagome!” his voice as a human always sounded sweeter to her, even as angry as he was, she only wanted him to keep talking.

“What was stupid, Inuyasha?” Asked with her sweetest and most innocent voice.

His eyes squinted with suspicion. He couldn’t figure out what she was feeling with his nose gone and his human ears “Showing him your powers like that! And lying to him! Now he’ll just go around saying bad-!”

She stood up with a loving smile on her lips. “What bad things?” She walked to him and hug him. He immediately reciprocated her actions. Looking up from his chest with her cheeks aflame she continued “That I prefer my hanyou that any human?” His cheeks copied her color as she kept going “or they I prefer to be carry a hanyou’s child than a human’s with a rotten heart?” she drove her hands up and down his back as he tensed with the last statement “Or… the fact that being a miko is part of me?” She rested her chin on his chest still searching for his eyes, her last question was only a whisper “Which part was bad? Every one of them seems amazing to me”

Inuyasha had trouble breathing. All those things delivered with no reservations made him feel humble and unworthy of her love. He could only breathe her name and look at her beautiful grey eyes.

Their lips met in a reverent kiss. Their lips meeting slowly, drinking the moment and the transcendent moment. The kiss conveyed all her honesty and hope for their future as he put his endless amazement at her acceptance of him. The world around them slowly disappear leaving them surrounded only by their love and hope. They separated as gently as it had started, with their foreheads still touching they waited for their breathing to become normal.

It all fell natural and right. The feeling they were exactly where they belonged made Inuyasha feel relaxed and nervous at the same time. With a heavy sigh he broke the contact.

He walked to the wall facing the door and sat down. On a moment of courage she walked to him and sat in the space between his crossed legs. If he was surprised she could not tell, but as his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her to his chest, she knew he was not against it.

His breath tickled her neck as he moved his head to rest it on her shoulder. By now his hair was as dark as hers and his ears were completely human. “What happened to you, wench?” 

“Huh?”

She had to admit that focusing on his voice when she could feel the heat of his body pressing against her, feeling his steady heartbeat on her back, his breath moving some strands of hair as his strong hands rested on her belly, was too difficult.

He had to ask three times for her to understand the question. “Oh! I helped Chiharu to carry water to her home, then she fell sleep and babysat his baby. Then I got to that mean-elder’s house and Hisoka had too many questions, when I finally got out of the house ready to run home, that man made everything difficult.”

He tried to growl, remembering through the human-sounding growl, that his human chest wasn’t capable of producing those kind of sounds. He opted for grunting and talking.

“If he ever does as much as looking in your direction with something other than pureness in his eyes… I’ll gut him!”

She shook her head knowing that answering would mean opening that line of conversation. The occasion was too good to be talking about that topic.

Inuyasha opened his lips to say something more about his plans on the foolish human but his miko chose that time to sigh and snuggle in his chest. Having her that close made funny things inside him. He felt that even as a human he could take on anyone just to stay a little longer like that. He felt his miko move his hands on her middle, Inuyasha was about to take them away when she held them and she turned to the side, she put his hands back on her waist and she hugged him with one arm, placing the other on his chest.

She made another happy sound against his chest. The silence that enveloped them was full of hopes and dreams, making it easy to remained together enjoying the moment.

Inuyasha set his eyes on the closed door as he kept thinking about what that human said. His hands ached from the need to teach him a lesson, but deep down he knew it was best to leave him to Kagome. A proud smiled adorned his face, she made him run, probably shitting his pants during the escape. Stupid human. The smiled abandoned his face as he thought of one particular topic the man had taken. Unknowingly he pulled Kagome closer and made the human equivalent of his growl.

She looked up at his face and saw the worry in his eyes. “What’s wrong Inuyasha?” His eyes darted at her face, but his gaze remained unfocused as his brow went lower. She used her free arm to smooth his forehead and cup his cheek. He blink a couple of times as she smiled at him, waiting for her answer.

“Huh?”

She giggled and repeated the question softly “I said, what’s wrong?”

He jerked his head to the side once, “Nothing’s wrong,” She tried again.

“Then what is making you worry?”

Too fast to be true he said, “Nothing.” Kagome huffed in annoyance and went back to rest her head on his chest

“If you don’t want to tell me, it’s alright. I’m here when you’re ready”

Inuyasha stayed immobile for a moment. Then his lips opened and closed trying to find the best words. When a sound finally came from his mouth it was barely above a whisper. She listened to him without moving. “Do you think that if you marry your powers will disappear?”  He could master the courage to ask the question, but was unable to add the ´me´ after ´marry´, she noticed.

She got on her knees between his legs and looked at his eyes serious. Kagome knew that his undivided attention was needed here. She made have no other chance to talk this openly about the subject. “Inuyasha…” his face was turned away from hers with the first sound, she put a hand on his chin and pulled. He finally looked at her but his vulnerable, flushed face made her nervous too. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Inuyasha, when, not if, we marry.” He tried to look down but she mover her face to follow his eyes until he came to face her again. “I don’t think a major change will come upon me,” Without a realizing a soft ‘why’ left his lips. Kagome smiled sadly, this was the part she dreaded.

“Because of Kikyou,” His eyes opened wide and she kept talking to avoid his questions, “Even as she was in her most enraged state, as her spirit wanted only to inflict pain and suffering, even as she was no longer alive…” it was her turn to look down. “She always had her powers. Even after being infected with Naraku’s miasma, she was still a powerful miko.”

She felt shy to say the rest she wanted, but she needed him to understand, she put both hands on her lap and looked at them as she talked again. “That’s why I’m convinced that being with you as man and woman or even carrying your children will not take my powers away”.

The air in his lungs shot out of his body, he was sure that if he was in his hanyou body a whine would have sound. He was amazed and humbled she had given so much thought. That she even thought of the possibility of having a child, his child, made him dizzy. She was thinking of a future together, with no doubts on sharing her life with a hanyou.

His eyes felt watery as her name escape of his lips reverently “Kagome…” She looked at his face, expecting to find shyness or some kind of conflicted emotion. But the happiness and hope reflecting in his eyes, beaming in his smile, made her bite down a sob. He raised his arms and without a second to waste she clashed against his chest, but he was not planning on hugging. He put a hand on each side of her head and slowly pulled her to his level. She expected him to keep talking and was surprised when he went close to kiss her, before she had time to react, he was giving little kisses on every part of her face. One of his hands traveled down to her waist, making it difficult for her to abandon the embrace, not that she even considered the possibility.

Using the hand still on her nape of her neck, he tilted Kagome’s head slightly to the side, kissing her jaw line, when his lips reached her ear every ounce of playfulness was gone and a shudder ran across her body along with a breathed moan. He pulled her closer as his back separated from the wall and leaned forward. In the back of her mind, the only part not foggy, she noticed how his soft pecks were now open mouth kisses.

His lips moved lower as the hand on her waist pulled her up, resting her weight on her knees. Inuyasha was now kissing and lapping at her lower neck, Kagome’s head fell back, giving him full access, when his tongue touched the spot where her shoulder met her neck a whine left her lips. The sensations being too intense for her to be silent.

Inuyasha separated from her at her whine and tried to look at her face, his dark eyes could only watch part of her jaw, he could nonetheless drink on the sensual vision she was giving him.

Her head thrown back, with her hair falling freely in a luscious curtain behind her, her neck flushed and moving rhythmically with her chest and her ragged breathing came in and out of her body. Her robes where slowly slipping down showing only a small contour of her breasts. He looked at the small portion of her chest with hungry eyes, he bit down a groan. The arms that encircled his head and pulled him back to her made it clear that she wanted to continue. A rush of male pride made him feel confident on his actions as he kissed her skin again.

He nuzzled her neck, pushing down the robes-. The trail of kisses continued to the center of her chest. Her creamy, rosy skin went up and down with each breath, his arm moved from the back of her neck to the front, brushing her neck until he reached for the tie of the white robe, slowly he untied her robe, giving her time to deny him, but she stood still expectantly, waiting for him. He took a deep breath cussing inwardly at his dulled senses. It was too dark to see clearly what was in front of him, only the contrast of her white form against the darkness of the rest of the hut, it was enough for Inuyasha to make him feel reverent at her sight.

The hanyou focused on the texture of her skin as he parted her robes, using the opportunity to caress her with the back of his fingers as the fabric moved. She gasped  feeling the gentle hand brush her skin, his hands were not soft but the carefulness she felt in his touch was enough to swoon her deeper in his embrace. Even in his human ears the sound of her heartbeat was clear, thundering in her chest, just as his.

He went back to nuzzle her skin, moving closer with each movement to her breast. At the moment his tongue touched her skin, Kagome’s legs lost all strength making her fall on her back and pulling him with her.

The position was uncomfortable and awkward, she started laughing softly at their state, but he was not going to stop for something like that. Hovering over her, Inuyasha rested his body on top of hers with their upper limbs still intertwined he went back to explore her body.

One of his hands was still on her back keeping her still, and the other slowly reached inside her robes caressing her side from the red hakama to the side of her breast. The laughter died down as his fangless mouth reached her breast and a startled sound halted her breath.

The wet heat of his mouth was drawing patterns on her sensitive skin. He felt the skin inside his mouth contracting. His hand moved to the other breast, cupping the soft flesh, feeling it fill his hand.

She heard him mumble something unintelligible, the only thing she could make of his sounds was, “You taste so fucking great…” some more mumbling and more of his heat on her nipple and again, “Wish I could smell you…”

She moved her hands on his head to touch the place his doggy ears usually rested. She didn’t say it out loud, but she missed those ears. She arched against him when suckled her breast.

After the word ‘smell’ left his lips, something began to bother him in the back of his mind. He could not think of exactly what it was as her creamy skin pressed against him. She was all heat and softness in his hands molding underneath him.

There it was again, that idea moving beyond his reach. The feminine hands treaded in his black hair before fisting it and pulling him closer. Her legs curled on his waist along with another needy moan came out of her. Her flesh was covered with a thin layer of sweat, glistering in the dim light.

He went back to her lips trailing the way with his lips. She faced him with her bright eyes, parted lips in an unguarded smile. He saw her take a deep breath as she pulled him closer with her legs. “I love your scent…” were her words before closing the gap between their lips. Sealing their lips in a hot kiss that was more need than skill.

Her hands drove down his chest, with trembling hands she opened his haori and inner robe. Under Kagome’s hands his chest was soft, hot skin and hard muscles, her hands circled his waist pulling at his robes. She got distracted with a soft groan coming from him as his hips pushed into hers. Something hard pressed between her legs and she pressed back gaining ragged moans from both of them.

The feminine arms circled his torso underneath the half opened robes. His lips crashed with hers again, nipped her lower lip and pulled slowly. She gathered the courage to feel his firm ass when he went rigid.

\---

The kiss suddenly stopped and he cursed with his breath fanning her face “Fuck!” was the word he kept repeating with anger.

That also stopped her cold. The only thing that kept circling her head was that she had ruined it. Everything was perfect and she had somehow ruined it. Inuyasha wasn’t looking at her, his head fell on the floor beside her, with his cheek still pressing on hers.

The ceiling became even more blurry in Kagome’s vision, her hanyou was still muttering curses. She didn’t have the strength to separate first, she tried to breath deep but a heartbroken sob came from her, followed by a shakily gasps. Kagome felt him go even tenser.

“Kagome?” his voice was breathy but full of concern. He used his elbows to lift his head and looked at her. He was almost sure he was hurting her with his weight but her limbs were still around him and made impossible for him to move away.  He looked at her crying face, tears were falling from her eyes and her swollen lips were opened with silent sobs. He nuzzled her cheek softly gaining another broken sob from her and her head turned away from him.

“What is wrong, Koi?” The sweetness of his tone and the term made her feel ashamed of messing things and couldn’t contain her crying anymore. Without looking at him her voiced came to his ears in between cries “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry”

Inuyasha’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Kagome! Look at me…” he intended to make a plea but it came out as an order with harsh voice. She slowly looked at his dark eyes, the expression she wore broke his heart. She looked like a lost child with eyes wide open and crying softly.

“What are you sorry for?” His fear made him ask in a defensive way. The fact he had initiated what quickly escalated into something that was clear she was not ready for, and choosing a bad moment to start it and a worse one to stop, made him feel like a jerk. If someone should be apologizing should be him. Kagome’s broken voice worried him.

“I ruined it… we were having,” a jerky breath interrupted her, “a moment and I ruined--”

Inuyasha groaned and cursed again. “Ugh! You didn’t do anything wrong!”  He lowered his head and kiss the corner of her eyes, “So stop crying already!”

Small hope glowed in her grey eyes but her voice still sounded week and shy. “Then… why did you stop?”

He felt his cheeks flush and now it was his turn to look away, “I didn’t wanna… I had to”

Curiosity got the best of her and she finally moved her hands away from his hakama and cupped Inuyasha’s face and pulled until he looked at her. “You had to?” She closed her eyes before continuing, “I didn’t want to stop either…”

He let his forehead rest on her as a dry laugh made his body jerk. The movement made and the shivers it generated in both of them, made them remember how intimate their embrace was. “Koi, don’t make this more difficult for me,” was all his answer as the manly arms tightened around her torso and he rolled onto his back. Leaving Kagome partially resting on his chest with one of her legs between his. Inuyasha kept one of his arms around her back making sure she stayed on his chest, not that she wanted to move.

She stretched to look at his face, only seeing his neck and chin. “I want to know why you stop,” his voice was gruff and humorless. “I told you, I HAD to” The hanyou stretched the word with bitterness.

She imitated his tone “That I get, the WHY you did it is what you are not telling me.”

Inuyasha covered his eyes with his arms and talked hurriedly “I-don’t-think-you-want-a-pup-right-now” It took some time for her to understand what he said. Her only response was a shy, “oh... alright,” He relaxed at her words.

She snuggled on Inuyasha’s chest feeling the heavy weight inside her disappear. They both wanted to go on… but as he was right, they didn’t want a baby right now. The question was uttered automatically. “How do you know I am…” she couldn’t say ovulating, that concept was unknown to him.

“In heat?” he supplied. She nodded without raising her head.

“You’re scent, it changes, and a couple of days ago it did.” He made one of his human growls, “but with this stupid human body not picking it up on you. I forgot for a moment.”

“And when you remembered… you stopped?” Inuyasha responded with an affirmative grunt. “Because,” her voice went closer to a whisper with each word, “you don’t want us to have a baby…” another affirmative grunt was his answer.

A tense silence formed between them. Kagome’s insecure voice barely made it to his human ears, “never?”

He breathed out slowly searching for the best words to explain what he thought, “I’ve never really thought about it… I never had the hope to even find someone to share my life with, and the idea of me having pups is…” Slender arms hugged him tightly and she pressed a kiss on his still uncovered, chest. “And I don’t think that wanting to have a pup is enough to birth them.” Inuyasha sighed bitterly. His thoughts became dark as he remembered the way he grew up, alone, fearful and hated by everyone he met. He opened his mouth to tell her, but she cut his unspoken words.

“But having a baby is enough to love and protect it” She declared.

He smiled against his will. He could imagine her little fiery miko putting every person or youkai that even looked at their pup wrong in their place. He blushed when he noticed the fact he was thinking of _their_ pup. Inuyasha cleared his throat thinking of a way to change the subject.

“Sleep, Kagome,” was the safest one.  She pecked his chest again and closed her eyes.

Inuyasha waited for her to fall sleep before moving, he separated from her to close his inner robe, arranging the best he could her clothes, finishing with his haori over both of them as he placed the petite miko on his chest again.

The quiet of the night enveloped them as he kept going back to what transpired inside the hut. It amazed him still how she was completely she accepted him. Closing his eyes he conjured the visions of her passion. Her sensual body reacting to him. He cursed quietly at his limited senses. If this was not a new moon, his memories would be full of her true scent, he would have being able to see and not only feel the blush on her skin. Remembering the true spectrum of her passionate sounds.

He grunted in frustration. Kagome jerked to a sitting position, looking around with drowsy eyes. He followed her lead and sat, “What happened?”

“I felt someone around the barrier, someone with ill intentions” Her eyes closed tight focusing on the surroundings. “It’s gone…” She looked preoccupied.

“Sure it is gone?” She nodded in response. “It was a weird presence, not quite human or youkai, not even animal”

The hanyou pulled her back to his chest and laid down again using the haori as a blanket. He kept rubbing his hand up and down her back until she was sleeping again.

Inuyasha didn’t want to make a fuss about it because he was not fit for a fight at the moment and knew how strong Tessaiga’s barrier was. They were safe inside. He would check the surroundings for foreign scents.

Outside the light was vanquishing the darkness when Kagome started to stir and wake up.

“Morning, Inuyasha” She said as another peck on his chest was placed.

“Mornin’, Wench”

Kagome sat and stretched as every morning. She turned to him noticing his hair was not entirely silver yet and his ears had that stupidly cute elvish shape. She preferred his doggy ears over any other, but he love how during the change he looked hanyou, human but for a moment he looked youkai. At least close to his brother’s humanoid shape, minus the marks on his skin.

They waited for his hanyou youki to come back in lovely silence.

 As his hand reached for the sword her urgent voice called him. She was waiting for him with her back against the wall. “What, wench?”

She remained quietly looking at his golden eyes. Her arm reached for his neck and pulled him to her lips. Taken by surprise it had been extraordinary easy to move him. As her lips touched his a soft appreciative rumble sounded in his chest, circling her waist with his arms and pulled her on him, she molded perfectly against his hard chest.

Kagome smiled against his lips and breathed out, “I missed that sound”. He growled stronger gaining a fit of giggles from her.

Inuyasha ended the kiss resting his forehead on hers as his lungs filled with her aroused scent…he sighed again…she still smelled slightly in heat, it may be the last scent before going back with her usual. But he would not risk it.

The hanyou pecked her on the lips and retired the sword from the door. They walked out of the hut hand in hand and walked towards the old miko’s hut without discussion.

The surprised stares were drilling them from every direction. The reaction after the surprise was either wonder or curiosity, or disgust. She paid attention to the ones with angry faces. Those people were not their friends and she tried to remember the faces.

“Why did none of our friends come looking for us?”

He shrugged uninterested. “I think Kaede thought we stayed at Miroku’s and the bouzu think we were with Kaede.”

The only one inside Kaede’s was the little Kitsune, who only sniffed after they entered and gave Inuyasha a sly smile, “Good night huh?”

“Shut up, brat”

Shippou only laughed at him.

 

The rest of the morning passed with no important incident. Before meeting Miroku on the southern part of the village, Inuyasha searched for threats around the village. Beside so very weak monsters, everything was clean. Even around the hut they used.

Kagome walked with Inuyasha to the meeting place, hand in hand as usual. Before the last curve in the path, he hugged her and lift her, taking her to the forest.

Suddenly she was between Inuyasha’s hard body and an equal hard tree and his lips were on hers. Kagome arched her back and closed her arms around his neck. The familiar purr vibrated against her flesh bringing a needy whine from her. He pulled back with her lower lip still in his lips, slowly letting it go. The feeling of the soft grazing of his fangs on her skin send shivers to every part of her body.

She felt him dip lower, moving her clothes to uncover the upper side of one of her breasts. His lips pressed an open mouthed kiss and he suckled her skin for a moment. Kagome’s legs went limp and he pulled her up with his arms around her waist.

He waited for her to regain control on her body, together they arranged her clothes back to the rightful place.

A clawed finger pointed to the place above the swelling of her breast he had kissed and said with a cheeky voice, “To help you remember me”

Before knowing what he was talking about he picked her up again and walked to the monk. Not giving her time to find his love mark in her skin.

Miroku greeted them and soon they were ready to part. Miroku gave her exercises for the next days and gave her new instructions. The most important, “think of forming a bubble around you and will it to envelop what you want to protect.”

She nodded and the men started to walk to the south. She tried as hard as she could to hold back the tears. He would be gone just for a few days. But this was the first separation since she came back and it was killing her to think she would go to bed without him by her side.

Looking at the ground she tried to breath deep and blink the tears away. Red obscured her sight of the ground and two hands cupped her head making her look up. “Don’t cry, Kagome” He kissed the corner of her eyes just as he had done the night before, but he licked the trail, she smiled softly, that was her Inuyasha. “Is only a week. Only few days” He tried his hardest to convince himself with the words that came out of his mouth. “We can do it! In a few day I’ll be back and everything will be alright”

She nodded and his lips crashed against hers, with his hands still on either side of her head, he tilted her head to the side and kissed her thoroughly, leaving her panting when the kiss ended. 

“Take care, Koi,” breathed before nuzzling her neck inhaling soundly, he separated from her with a sad smile. “You too, be careful”

His hands let her head go with a caress as he nodded, he turned to the direction the monk was waiting and walked without looking back.

Kagome’s shoulder slumped. This was going to be a long week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you for reading.
> 
> Nanna.


	5. Delay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Miroku are on a work trip and it takes almost twice as long for them to return and both Inuyasha and Kagome suffer their first separation since she returned.

**Memories of Us**

 

 Delay

 

Miroku looked at his friend through his bangs pretending to be asleep. Between them the yellowish-orange flames danced, illuminating the strange movements of his hanyou friend.

Inuyasha stared at his hands as they moved in front of him, cupping and flattening against air as if his hands were touching something before him, his golden eyes closed and a longing sigh left his lips as he let his hands fall into his lap and his head fell back resting on the wooden wall, even in the dim light Miroku saw the red blush in the man's cheeks. After a few deep breaths his hands would raise again to repeat the movement. Sometimes he would stop mid-motion to slap himself and mutter something that sounded suspiciously close to "fucking pervert" as he let his hands fall again.

They had been traveling for more than a week now. And this trip had been particularly insightful for the young monk, even as his friend´s temper had been getting worse by the day. More so as the rainy season finally caught up to them forcing their three days trip to the troubled village into a 5 days long. Making his temper even worst as the so called monster turned out to be only a fairly intelligent oni that found the way to kidnap humans without being noticed.

It took only one hit of Tessaiga to disintegrate the oni. Miroku bit back a chuckle remembering the hanyou’s shocked face as the sword hit the ground with no more enemies to defeat, he stayed there blinking and staring into the nothing before sheathing his sword, he had cursed repeatedly as he walked to the monk and declared with no further explanation “I want my payment with money, not useless shit” and then Inuyasha ran away from the village to vent his anger with the unlucky vegetation.

After the almost nonexistent battle the villagers came to the monk to thank him profusely about how his servant had help them. Miroku was fast to clarify, as he did every time they visited a new town, that their relationship was of equals. The villagers didn´t like that but asked them to help with construction of a hut that been destroyed with a thunder on the last storm.

The young monk declined the offer as he wanted to comeback as fast as possible to the village and avoid another storm before reaching home but the villagers offered him to double the pay if they help. It was obvious they wanted Inuyasha’s strength for the job. At the end of the day Miroku had agreed to help with the additional arrangement of the double pay and a sack of rice.

When the hanyou came back to the village and the new job was explained to him Miroku expected great resistance and was prepared to explain the reasons why he had accepted, but the hanyou only nodded and declared they were starting with the sun the next day. Another day and a half was spent at the village before departing with the rice and more money they expected.

That little scene happened two days ago, so they’ve been in the road for exactly 9 days, and yet again before the nightfall of the first returning day the stubborn rain made them stop at an abandoned hut. Inuyasha had complained endlessly about how it was Miroku’s fault they were stuck there, the hanyou kept saying he would leave him and his stupid rice there and walk alone, remarking how the monk’s stupid decision of asking for rice kept them inside.

Even so, Miroku thought that being trapped with his half demon friend was really entertaining, he would do or ask the most interesting things. For example he had asked the night before if the monk knew why men had nipples if they didn’t nurse pups. It had taken a lot of will power from the monk not to laugh at the randomness of the question as they were inspecting the hut for dangerous animals.  At the end he had responded that because Kami wanted them to resemble the perfection of the woman’s body as much as possible. Inuyasha called him a pervert and they resumed their cleaning.

Since that morning the hanyou had been sitting at his wall and he looked to be thinking hard about something when he wasn’t playing with his hands.

“Miroku…” Inuyasha called with hesitant voice.

“Yes my friend?” He responded with seriousness as the change in his friend meant the hanyou wanted to talk about an important matter.

“Do you think the village would change” he cleared his throat as his head tilted back hitting the wall as he stared at the ceiling. “If things are different between us?”

The monk smiled sadly at his friend, he knew that there was not many things that could scare or hurt his hanyou friend, but if it was related with the young miko in a negative way, it meant his friend suffered with her and he would do anything possible to avoid any kind of pain on her part.

“I imagine you are talking about Kagome and you?”  The hanyou groaned in response.

“And by different you mean…?”

Inuyasha let out a high pitched sound that in the monk’s ears sounded more like a whine than groan. After some tense moments the hanyou answered hurriedly.

“I mean make her my mate… do you think they would treat her differently?”

Miroku tilted his head to the side trying to understand the word. Mates… he was sure it meant something close to marrying, but things with youkai were never that simple.

“Mates… as in husband and wife?”

The hanyou finally looked at him with an upset expression. “Keh! Of course not!”

Miroku’s shocked and disgusted expression was immediately noted by Inuyasha.

“Oi! I’m not talking about that either, you pervert!” 

Miroku raised both hands apologetically but remained silent, waiting for Inuyasha’s explanation.

“Human marriage is just plain weird. The nightly visits are stupid…” He raised his clawed hands in front of his face and threaded his fingers tightly “…and only being truly bonded when a pup is birthed, that’s more stupid.” He was staring hard at his hands, “What if they can’t have a pup fast? What if they don’t want a pup right away? What if…” His hands fell to his lap and slowly separated “…what if the female dies during childbirth? For youkai it’s not like that…” He let out a tired sigh as his hands fisted and relaxed repeatedly “Youkai court the female, sometimes the male is courted, and if they feel the connection between them deep and strong enough they mate. They don’t do that flimsy, stupid, marriage thing, they bond to be together for life.”

“Humans marry for life too…”

The golden eyes that appeared lost darted to Miroku’s violet ones, for a moment Miroku was acutely reminded about the abysmal difference of strength between his friend and him. The molten gold was burning him, keeping him immobile. 

“Khe! No, they don’t…” Inuyasha’s voice was calm and steeled as he delivered his answer as a fact.  

For a moment Miroku’s breathing halted under the intensity of those golden eyes and words. His hanyou friend was battling internally with a deep emotion, his eyes told the monk about the conflict that fact caused him. The golden eyes blinked and the moment was over as the golden eyes found another focus point.

“You humans marry for the life you get together. You bond for the life you live together, and when one of you dies, the surviving one can search for a new partner… That kind of incomplete bonding is not what I’m talking about…”

The priest looked at the hanyou as he took a deep breath and opened and closed his mouth for a few times as if he was looking for the right words to go on.

“I mean youkai mate for the rest of their lives, the rest of both of their lives, if one of them is to die young, the other honors the bond for the rest of its life, is not something forced on  the surviving mate, but even as one mate is gone the bond stays with them… for life.” 

Inuyasha scratched his head and looked at the monk for a moment without saying something. Whatever he saw on his friend face made him change his position to lay on his side propping his head with his arm as he continued in a relaxed manner.

“If they never birth pup, they never do and that’s that.” The hanyou clicked jus tongue “That has nothing to do with the mating or the validation of the bond”.

Miroku stared as his friend and his different emotions, understanding what was really being discussed here, not only the fact he wanted to mate Kagome, but that after her death, hopefully in many, many, years to come, he would always be faithful to his mate.  The monk chest ached as the thought of Inuyasha being alone after their deaths came to him.

“Oi! Monk! You didn’t answer my question”

Miroku shook his head to focus on his friend’s gruff voice “huh?”

“You didn’t answer…”

“Oh! You are right my friend. About the village after you umm… mate Kagome?”

Inuyasha nodded once and kept his eyes on the monk expectantly with his raised brows and one of his puppy ears turned to the monk and the other to the door.

“I think… the village will have to get used to the changes.” He shrugged “Most of the villagers see you as their protector and even if you’re part demon, you are accepted as long as you take your responsibilities seriously. And they know that you came along and stayed because of Kagome.” His brow furrowed “But a miko, one of the strongest to ever exist, to mate a hanyou… for them that is beyond what they are able to accept easily. And honestly I think they will let you both know how wrong they think your mating is...”

Inuyasha turned on his back closing his eyes grunting his agreement. “A holy miko mating a hanyou is not something that should happen…”

Miroku stared at his friend not believing his answer and spoke in a hurried deep voice “Then you would stop courting her, and leave her alone? Would you walk away from her and let her spend her life only as a shrine maiden? Is that your plan? To leave her alone?”

The only warning the monk had was the crack sound of the wood behind his head as the snarling hanyou pushed him by the collar. If he wasn’t in pain and pinned to the wall by the hovering hanyou, he would marveled at the speed he had developed in the last three years.  But at that moment with the hanyou fangs close to his face.

“Never…” The hanyou spat on his face before going back to his place on the other side of the cabin as the monk rubbed his abused head.

“I didn’t mean you should… I was just asking… You should know I think that you two being together is meant to be.”

“And you should know, I would never leave her side…” Inuyasha said as he went back to the floor.

“I guess you’re right. Stupid question.”

“Khe!”

Silence installed around them as the cracking sound of the burning wood was the only noise inside the hut.

“Inuyasha…”

The hanyou hummed his answer

“That means you are courting Kagome?”

Inuyasha didn’t stop looking at the ceiling as his cheeks turned red and his heart started pounding in his chest.

“You have a problem with that?”

Miroku hid his smiled as the question was delivered without the bite he expected.

“I’m happy for both of you”

The hanyou huffed as his face turned to the opposite wall.

“And may I ask my friend, how are you courting her?”

“Whadda you mean by _how_?”

Suddenly the silver haired man looked really uncomfortable, with his ears flattened on his head and his nails where rhythmically taping the wooden floor.

“I mean how did you propose to her? Or how did you let her know your intentions? What is different now than then? Have you presented any gifts?

Miroku saw the increasingly uncomfortable face his friend was making and continued making questions.

“You have a special name for her? Does she have one for you? When are you going to start building your house?... That’s what I mean.”

Inuyasha’s eyes where wide opened looking at the monk in shock after the last couple of questions. He didn’t know that all this was needed, he had done some of those things, but not all. The hanyou blinked and realized the amused face the monk had and his own expression became guarded.

“There you go again Miroku...” The hanyou waved his hand dismissively. “This is human courting, not youkai, all this is no-” His words were interrupted by an exasperated monk.

“Alright! Tell me about youkai courting then!”

Inuyasha frowned thinking _how_ youkai courted. It was difficult to express with human words what he was doing. Most of the time _he_ didn’t even know why he needed to do what he did. The hanyou took a long breath before sitting against the wall again.

“The youkai courting is more instinctive…” His golden eyes narrowed focusing on the fires in front “it does not need that much words. Most of the important things are easy to read through smell. If the female accepts the courting, if she likes what you’re doing. And even if things are not discussed, the fact that the courting mates are _marked_ with each other’s scents… _”_

For a moment Inuyasha lost track of his words as he blushed deeply.

“… It means she is being courted and others males won’t try to take her away.” His brow furrowed in concentration “…Is about showing your capabilities and potential as a mate, taking care of the other one, providing, protecting, supporting… for the mate and offspring…” His voice faded as he kept his eyes in the fire.

Miroku’s eyebrows shot up under his bangs. Inuyasha was saying something he didn’t expect the hanyou to willingly share, it was something he needed to confirm. He wouldn’t mean THAT right? And then the monk remembered the weird hand movements and the insults he had been calling himself and he gasped. This was more than he asked for. He hid his sly smile and controlled his voice to avoid sounding as excited as he felt.

“Does the scent marking mean you and Kagome are…” He waited for the golden eyes to fall on him and he wiggled his eyebrows meaningfully “…making the relationship physically deeper?”

The monk half expected to be pinned to the wall again as his words sounded inappropriate even in his ears. Maybe the hanyou would throw him a log and put him to sleep. Maybe Inuyasha would deny everything and tell him to shut up. But he did not expect to see him freeze in his place blushing deeply before looking down to study the wooden floor.

THAT was a reaction that screamed Miroku was right, he chuckled, and that must had done something to the hanyou because he was no longer looking guilty and staring to the floor.

Inuyasha looked back at the priest with red hot cheeks as he babbled his way out “I can’t believe… that you… to say something like that… about Kagome… that’s ridiculous… is stupid… Don’t say things like that!... Just shut up and go to sleep before I make you!” He finished with a _Khe_ as he turned his head to the side grumpily and hid his twitching hands inside the haori.

One of the monk’s eyebrows curved as he realized the hanyou had not once said _No._ He smiled genuinely happy for his friends. They were finally doing what they should have done three years ago. An idea came to mind. 

“When you finally decide on where you want to start building your house, I will happy to help you.”

The other man didn’t move or made any sign of listening.. The monk thought his friend was not going to acknowledge his offer when the deep whisper of the hanyou sounded inside the hut.

“I already started building the hut”

Moroku’s violet eyes darted to his friend again.

“You did? On your own? Where are you building it? Are you close to finish it?” Miroku couldn’t stop the questions after the surprise. He knew that Inuyasha wanted to live with Kagome as… mates… the sooner possible, but he was working really fast.

The monk would be eternally grateful for the hanyou’s help for his help during the construction of his home. Instead of waiting for two or three moons as the humans prepared the ground, the wood and finish building, his hanyou friend did most of the work and in less than a moon his home was finished.

“I… chose a place close to the forest, away from the village.”

“I see. It must be a beautiful place.”

“Yeah…”

For a long time the only sound was once again the contrasting cracking of the wood and the lighting outside.

“Let’s stop with the merchants on the way home.”

“As you wish, my friend”

“Now, sleep monk!”

Inuyasha listened to his friend breathing as it became slow and rhythmic, hoping it could distract him from his thoughts and lulled to sleep. But there were many things calling for his attention inside his head. And the one that kept popping in his head intrusively, besides Kagome luscious forms and the knowledge he now had about them, was in fact his own reactions to her presence.

He let out a tired sound remembering how many times he had called Kagome _Koi,_ it was something so different from what he was. She was his Kagome, his wench, his bitch. The latest not so much because for some unfathomable reason she really hated that one, something about dignity and whatnot. Anyway, those names reflected their relationship and the way everything had always been. She was her only _wench_ , his only _bitch_ , his only _Kagome_ … and now he called her _Koi_.

He groaned. That sounded so… not-manly. It sounded sappy, unoriginal” his lips curled up in a secret smile “and… and… so tender and cute. It was a beautiful word.

It was tender as Kagome’s words, it was soft as Kagome’s embrace, it was beautiful as Kagome’s existence.

And he was being completely ridiculous again…

The hanyou shook his head trying to dislodge the sappy ideas again.

Maybe… Maybe if that part of him was only known to Kagome he could live with that. Suddenly Kagome’s beaming face with her bright eyes and flushed cheeks came to his mind. He was sure that it was worth it if he could see his Koi make that expression again.

-.-.-.-

Kagome had quietly waited for 12 days before losing her patience and accepting she was really worried about her hanyou and friend. The trip was supposed to last seven and this was the twelfth day of their absence.

Sango kept telling her that this was normal, that sometimes they took more time to comeback. Her friend spend too much of her time trying to comfort her and explain different reasons for their absence.

But it was not enough for the young miko, and it wasn’t Sango’s fault. It was hers, it was Inuyasha’s, it was… it was nobody’s fault.

Her restlessness began in that first night he was gone. She missed his hand in hers, she missed the sound of his breathing as he slept, his soft snoring. She noticed that night how accustomed she had grown to his youki around her, the reassuring fire of his energy by her side as she slept. That night she had found herself extending her awareness of the surroundings as she unconsciously looked for him. Aside from the hollow sensation in her chest as her powers didn’t find him, the unnerving feeling something was observing came back. That not-natural presence came back for a moment, disappearing before the miko was able to investigate it.

That night was the first time since she came back sleep evaded her.  It was a feeling she was familiar with, staying up through the nigh staring at the ceiling as her mind traveled back to the moments she wanted to live again, emotions she wanted to feel again.

After the well closed Kagome couldn’t sleep. Even after her grief let her eat again, even after her tears lessened enough for her mother to see her face without puffiness around the eyes. Even after her mother did not have to force her to go to school. Even after she became able to stand in front of the Goshimboku without crying. Even after three years went by, sleeping through the night was impossible. Even then, the only way for her to sleep was taking the pills her mother gave her with every dinner.

Nights had always been the silent witness of most of their important moments. It was in that moments that she had been able to know a part of Inuyasha that he never showed to somebody else. It was at nights when she met her Inuyasha, the one that talked to her about himself, his past and on those last weeks before the final battle and after Kikyou’s final good bye, her beloved hanyou had started to talk about his dreams of the future. His hesitant dreams of a place where he belonged, even as he didn’t elaborate about them she knew just what he didn’t dare to expect.

That first night without him she was scared to close her eyes and when the morning came stare at a different ceiling 500 years in the future. Every night since she came back it was Inuyasha’s hand and youki what anchored to the present so she could confidently close her eyes knowing this life wasn’t going to disappear.

Unknowingly to her tears rolled from her eyes and her breathing became ragged. Certain little fox noticed and walked closer from his place closer to the fire. Her vision clouded with orange as the kit moved closer and touched her cheeks with his little hands.

“Kagome, why are you scared?”

Kagome only blinked at him for a moment. “I’m not scared Shippou,..”

His locks danced as he shook his head, “You smell scared.” he clarified, his head tilted as he studied her face, “Is it because the dog is gone?” without letting her answer his question he kept talking, “He’s fine, they go to his exorcisms and they always come back fine.” The little hands on her cheeks moved as he walked to her side and took one of his hands.

“The stupid dog is going to comeback fine, don’t worry. But now I’m going to hold your hand so you can stop being scared”

He hold her hand against his small chest as his green eyes drilled hers with determination. A broken sob was her response as she turned to the side and cradled Shippou against her chest.

Kagome closed her eyes as she held the child, now that she payed attention to him, she was able to feel the brush of his youki, it was different from Inuyasha’s, it wasn’t close to the presence he irradiates, and it was more like a warm presence than Inuyasha’s fire-like energy. Focusing on his presence she was able to sleep a few hours. 

Holding Shippou helped her to fall sleep but the rest kept eluding her as every night a different nightmare appeared on her dreams. Most of the time the theme of those dreams was being alone surrounded in blackness, it was a powerful feeling as it came from her memories and not from her imagination. Other times it was her chasing Inuyasha as he run getting farther and farther away. Every night after the nightmare woke her up it was impossible to go back to sleep.

And the lack of sleep made her grumpy. Even on this morning as she was picking herbs for Kaede with Rin and Shippou she just wanted a little quiet instead of the happy chirping of both kids, she wanted some peace and quiet. She wanted to be alone for a while.

Rin asked something about an herb for the untempt time that that and Kagome had to bite back her  rude remark before taking a deep breath and plaster a smile on her face before turning to her, “yes, Rin?”

The girl showed a root and asked her if it was the one they were looking for, when she said yes and Shippou confirmed it with a fast sniffing and they finally finished with the their errand.  She felt bad to be so annoyed with the kids, they weren’t doing anything bad, and nothing out of the ordinary.

She was the one behaving differently, her patience levels were almost inexistent and what she needed was some time alone. Some time alone to brood without some of her friends feeling the need to do or say something, they really didn’t need to do say a thing, she knew her friends only wanted to ease her mind. But it didn’t work.

They finished with the herbs and went to Kaede’s house and cook their meal as the old miko woke up feeling indisposed, Rin and Shippou tried to asked her if she needed something but after asking her a few times and not getting a response, the shrugged and went outside.

Kagome knew she was dealing with his absence in a way she didn’t like it. She was detaching from the surroundings, from her friends, from her responsibilities, even from her own feelings.

Kagome took a long breath closing her eyes as she turned her head to the sides to crack her tense neck. Pushing back raging fear that whispered every moment of her waking day that he was not to come back tended to do that, and also and give her headaches.

She stirred the pot with a hand as the other massaged her shoulder, her eyes staring longingly at the mat that worked as a door, wishing it would swing open revealing a red cladded hanyou. The soft whisper of the old lady separated her from her musings.

“Child, I think the food is ready. No need for more stirring”

Her eyes darted to the pot, Kaede was right, it was ready. Hiding her embarrassed blush, she walked outside and called the children. They were waiting for her call and soon the four of them were eating.

Rin volunteered to take care of the dishes and Shippou went to check on Sango’s family. Kagome put a smile in her face and turned to Kaede.

“I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back before dinner.” She announced at the same time she grabbed her bow and arrows.

The sympathetic look on Kaede’s eyes and her sad smile, made clear the old miko was not being fooled by her strong act. She felt incapable of pretending anymore.

As fast as Kaede said “Go”, the grey eyed miko started to walk towards the forest.

It was the only place she could breathe normally, the only place where the need to run and scream seamed to lessen to a manageable level. As she reached the forest her eyes looked up, observing the green leaves swaying with the soft wind letting light through, it was a cloudy day, a day in between storms, and the soft light was casted on her face, warming her as she kept walking towards her favorite part of the forest. The Goshimboku… Their tree.

When the ancient tree appeared before her the first real smile of the entire day beamed in her face. This was the place she wanted to be, the place she felt closer to him. She climbed on the roots and reached the mark of the arrow, her fingers traced the place he waited for her those 50 years, as he now liked to say.

Placing her back on the tree and sitting on the root she had stepped to touch his ears 4 years ago she waited… waited for the peace that she always found there. Breathing in the clear air, and breathing out as the slow burning fear in her chest kept growing weaker with each heartbeat. She let her head fall back as a soft smile slowly pulled the corner of her lips.

It was time to do something. During this twelve days, the only thing she deemed productive was her work with the barriers. Now she was fairly happy with the results, her best barrier yet had been on for almost an hour before disappearing. In that hour it had remained unchanged and stable, at that time Shippou was with her inside the kekkai and said he felt some kind of tingling on his skin, and not the good kind. She suspected that her barrier was slightly purifying and that affected the little Kistune.

Kagome straightened her back and positioned herself in her favorite meditation position, one that resembled her hanyou defensive stance, her legs crossed and her hands in front of her chest.

Keeping Miroku’s words in mind she repeated what she wanted to create over and over as she called for her powers. The pink light enveloped casting soft light around her. “Enveloping me and expanding, like a bubble of protection, a border between me and the rest, a barrier nobody can cross. A barrier that prevails against the exterior forces, a division invisible to the eyes, a barrier to stand until I will it gone.”  She kept her eyes closed as her instructions repeated in her head, making the image clearer with each repetition, when the image she had was clear in her head she finally opened her eyes.

She could feel the faint energy field, even if it was no visible. She would have to wait for a creature to pass and be repelled by her barrier. She relaxed her stance and reclined on the tree, waiting for the proof of her success or failure.

Suddenly that weird presence was there, just beyond or where she thought her barrier ended. Just for a moment it existed, that animal-not-only-animal presence, every time it appeared and disappeared, the miko sensed a lingering wrongness in the place. It felt like unnatural and forced.  Inside her barrier the feeling ended rapidly, she was beginning to suspect some kind of youkai was watching her, reason why she never left the hut without her weapons.

She looked around, searching for some kind of signal from the habitants of the forest, but they seemed undisturbed, besides no getting close to her or her barrier, their noises and movement looked normal. She went back to rest on the tree, waiting for the unsuspecting creature.

Kagome opened her eyes as she jumped awake, something had awaken her. The grey eyes looked around searching for wrongness, everything looked normal. She stood up and slowly reached for her bow… Her head shot to the side as her bow fell to the ground.

Her eyes got misty as she realized what had woken her up, it was his youki brushing close.

He was back.

Her eyes closed as she searched for his location, he was coming from the same path she followed before, and for the amount of natural light, for few hours at least, she had been in sleeping in the forest.

-.-.-.-

Inuyasha finally reached the village, after twelve fucking days he had come back.

And she wasn’t there… he had left the monk in his house along with his payment for the work, a sack of rice. The hanyou had hoped to find his miko with Sango and her kids, but she was not there, and by the smell she had not been there recently. That was odd but maybe she had been busy. After the usual greetings that were mostly a short ‘here is your husband, alive and complete’ he left them alone for their own private greeting.

Next stop was the old hag’s hut. Running as fast as he could towards the hut something began to upset him. The hanyou stopped for a second and took a big sniff and snarled, the villagers around looked at him with fear as the silver haired man looked around accusingly. He had found what was bothering him, it was Kagome’s scent, and her unique scent was laced with sadness. That he understood, his scent had the same acrid component right now, but hers was laced with the sickening component of fear. He looked around hunting for the responsible of her fear. Was it the elder he hated? He had better not touched or said anything rude to Kagome.  Was it the outsider? Either way he was going to get rid of the little rude man, he was not going to let the stupid human live close to his mate.

Shaking his head to clear the myriad of reasons why she could be scared, he decided to find her and ask her what he should get rid of. His legs started moving again, as he got closer to the hut the smell got stronger, she’d been afraid for some time, it was not a simple moment. He pushed the mat to the side and stepped inside.

The old miko, his brother pet and the kit were the only ones inside. They turned and smiled before noticing his expression. He took another sniff not caring if he looked like a dog at that moment. Her scent hit him hard and a slow growling started to reverberate in his chest. Kagome’s scent was impregnated in the hut, her sweet aroma along with the acrid smell of sadness and fear. Her normal scent was no longer present in the hut.

The old miko nodded at his presence “Welcome home Inu—“ He didn’t let her finish before asking for the only thing he cared at that moment.  

“Where’s Kagome?”

Shippou looked at him at the same time his scent reached his nose. Inuyasha was upset, the little Kitsune smelled anger and fear coming out of him at the same time his youki flared around them. Actually, Shippou took a quick sniff again, Inuyasha was almost terrified. The best they could do was send him to Kagome, it was clear he was reacting to what he picked up from the miko inside the hut and thought she was in some kind of danger.

“She’s in the forest.” Answered a calm Rin from the kit’s side. Without a word he turned and pushed open the door.

Shippou got up and followed outside “She’s alright Inuyasha!” shouted the Kitsune as Inuyasha started to run.

Before the hanyou disappeared into the forest his voice reached the child ears, “The fuck she is alright,” Shippou looked at the forest for a moment wishing for them to find each other quickly. It looked like it had been a bad separation for both of them. Even if Inuyasha didn’t like it, he too smelled like fear, and it was an old stench he had. The red haired kit looked at the sky thinking it was going to rain soon as he came back to the hut to finish his supper.

Inuyasha followed her trail as he entered the forest, once he knew where it was heading he ran towards their sacred place. The Goshimboku.

He slowed down slowly as the sacred tree came into view. She was there, she was standing inside the clearing, turned to him. With her bright eyes watery, a beaming smile, that smile that was only his, and her arms parted and raised waiting for him to get inside her embrace.

He couldn’t help smiling back to her, she was here and she was safe, and that was all it mat— he didn’t finish that thought as his head banged with something.

Their shocked expressions mirrored each other’s before Kagome’s head fell back and she started laughing. In a weird way it had been funny, Inuyasha with his cute smiling face crashing into something invisible, and his instant shocked expression.

“Oi! Wench put that down!”

Kagome looked at him through unshed tears as he hit the barrier with his fists.

“Huh?”

“Take the barrier down!” A deep rumble sounded around her and instead of scaring her or making her nervous, she felt an exhilarating joy. He came back, her grumpy, rude hanyou was back, and that was all that mattered.

Inuyasha was banging the barrier as she laughed on the other side. The hand stopped hitting as he observed her fight back her laughter and tried to concentrate. She looked beautiful with her blushed cheeks and her playful beaming eyes. And that laugh was not mocking, it was a laughter from sheer joy. The silver haired man found himself smiling back as he tried to master a gruff voice to tell her to hurry.

She answered with a waving hand and taking a deep breath. With her eyes closed she seemed to whisper “I will the barrier gone…”, and it instantly disappeared.

Kagome giggled as she was tossed and held by the hanyou the second the barrier was down. He had picked her up circling her thighs with his arms and pulling her up, putting her chest at the same level as his face.

Her laugh enveloped them as they stared into the other’s eyes, finding in that simple contact the peace that had eluded them all those days, feeling the heavy weight in their chest disappear. Unable to stop herself she hugged him the best she could, using her arms to push his face to her chest, he nuzzled her softly as the deep rumble that he used to calm her came out of him. She felt her chest warm with the soft rumble and flow to the rest of her body.  

Slowly she retreated and moved her hands to cup his cheeks as he looked up. “Hi…” she said softly.

Inuyasha nodded slightly. “Wench”

Kagome smiled playfully as her hands moved to stroke his soft ears, gaining a short purring sound from him before he stopped and frowned.

She frowned too “ _Wench_? I thought my pet name had changed, dog-boy.” She laughed good heartily before adding. “You go out of town and suddenly I’m back to _wench_?”

The hanyou only grunted and started to walk towards the sacred tree with her still on his arms and sat on the same root he had occupied earlier, his hands accommodated her legs around his torso and rose his legs so she could have somewhere to rest her back.

Kagome felt somewhat nervous for the easiness he had arranged their position, it was incredible intimate and he looked like he had no problem with the closeness. Inuyasha was not embarrassed because she was too close, not even blushing, that sent shivers across her body.

“You will always be my wench” he said with a shrug.

His hands were back at her hips, not moving, only pressing softly at her sides and she was having problems thinking of a comfortable place to put hers. Trying to not feel intimidated by his presence she swiftly put her hands over his and held them tightly at the same time she moved their joined hands to rest over her belly.

Inuyasha followed her movement with his eyes, his ears perked to listen to the beat of her heart, waiting for it to slow down to a calmer rhythm.

“The other two are for special occasions…” he continued as if the conversation hadn’t stopped.

Kagome tilted her head “two? Special occasions?”

The man made a blank expression and just blinked at her.

“Wait… Are you telling me ‘ _bitch’_ is one of them?” her eyebrows went low as her voice dropped a note.

Inuyasha shrugged again and looked at the side feeling heat flow to his cheeks “What if it is?” he asked defiantly.

Kagome hit one of his hands and looked at his profile accusingly “What kind of special occasion could there be for you to call me _bitch_?”

Without looking back at her Inuyasha used the hold she had on his hands to pull her to his chest with a ‘thud’. He let go of her hands so his arms where free to snake around Kagome’s waist and keep her close to his chest.

The hanyou took a deep breath taking in her scent as he dipped his nose into the curve between neck and shoulder, nuzzled her keeping his face hidden from her.

She fisted part of his fire rat as he caressed there, barely registering his voice, it sounded deeper and breathy “Occasions like this, when we are doing something only mates do… things I will only do with my bitch…Things I can only do with you.”

His nose started to go up her neck, giving her time to accept or deny his advances. Her response was clear when she exposed her neck to him and moaned on his ears. With a cocky grin he peck her jaw line, moving up slowly to her chin.

Inuyasha was taking his time nuzzling, kissing and lapping her neck, reaching her chin and going back to the neck. Kagome made a whimpering sound when he reached her chin and went back for the third time.

Her small hands raised to the sides of his head and with a swift motion she pulled his parted lips to hers for a kiss. Kagome felt him smile before he adjusted angle of his head and kissed like she wanted him to, her whimpering transforming into moans as he deepened the kiss, nipping and lapping in the way she had been waiting for all these days.

She felt the deep rumble she liked so much coming from his chest when she nipped at his lower lip, pulling softly at the same time he growled, letting go of his lip she stared at him, their breathings crashing rapidly in the small space between them. He looked at her with his bright golden eyes, almost as if they didn't reflect light but emitted it, looking at her with an intensity that brought goosebumps throughout her body as she held his golden stare.

“Kagome…” was all he said before assaulting her lips again. The sensation of his lips on hers, his tongue investigating the inside of her mouth at the same time his fangs grazed her skin from time to time made her lose track of what was happening with the rest of her body.

When he separated from her, she noticed that her hanyou was on top of her and she did not rest her back on his legs anymore, now the root was beneath her and as she looked into the golden eyes, he was looking all too proud on his accomplishment with his smug grin and his raised eyebrow.

She also noted how her robes where untied and her breasts where starting to show as the edges slided to her sides. Her hand shot to her chest to close it in a sudden display of modesty.

Kagome yelp when she felt the heat of Inuyasha’s mouth on her palm, he was nipping the hand that held both sides, the pressure of his fangs was barely there as he looked up to her face with pleading eyes. The young miko knew exactly what he wanted.

Slowly she let go of her robes leaving her chest exposed. Inuyasha released her hand and licked where his fangs had rested. As soon as her hand was free from the hanyou she moved it up to cover her forehead.

Without breaking eye contact he lowered his head to her belly, slowly tracing with his tongue from her navel to the center of her chest. She was the one to close her eyes and arch her back giving him better access, his hands caressed her sides from the border of her hakama slowly until he was caressing her breasts, the feeling of her soft creamy breast filling his hands as she made those sweet sounds told him she was enjoying this as  much as him.

One of his clawed hands left her breast a trailed down a single claw to the knot of her hakama, when the knot was undone a delicate hand stopped his movements and her body became stiff. His golden eyes shot up to encounter hers.

His breathing halted as he expected to see some kind of rejection in her eyes.  Instead of finding her eyes focusing on his face or hands, her chocolate eyes stared at the edge of the clearing. His ears swiveled around searching for any sound, finding only the normal sounds of the forest.

Kagome tightened her hold on his hand, “There is something watching us…” her voice was above the sound of her breath, intended to be heard only by him.  He lowered his head to the crook of her neck, nuzzling there as if he wasn’t aware of where Kagome’s attention was focused.

“Do you know what it is?” he whispered on her neck.

With her body now partially covered by his, he slowly knotted back her hakama and reached down on both sides to pull her clothes close.

“Not really…”

Her answer was enough to make him jump from her into the edge of the clearing Kagome stared, showing his claws and snarling.

“Show yourself!”

Nothing out of the ordinary presented before him, there on the edge of the forest only a grey owl stared back at him. Even as he jumped close to the bird, it didn’t move from its place, didn’t stop staring at him either. Something about the animal set him off. It smelled normal, it looked normal, and it didn’t have any kind of youki. But he felt the need to keep it away for Kagome and him.

Inuyasha prepared his claws to strike, glowing yellow as his youki concentrate in them.

“Don’t kill it!” Kagome voice shout at him.

His silver head turned to her and noticed she had moved closer to him and held her kosode closed clasping it with both hands as her eyes looked at him nervously.

Inuyasha didn’t move “Why?”

“Just don’t. Please…”

After a long sight Inuyasha lowered his claws but instead of attacking the bird he slashed through the branch it was resting on, making the bird fly away from them and the presence disappeared along with the bird.

The hanyou jumped down of the tree and landed near Kagome.

The miko knew he needed an explanation and that offering one before he demanded it the way he usually did would save them a fight. With that in mind she walked the distance between them and spoke under his piercing gaze.

“That presence has been appearing around, is the same I felt the night before you left.” His gaze softened and tilted his head to the side waiting for her to continue.

She cleared her throat and averted her gaze. “A few days ago it appeared when I was walking alone in the forest.” She let out a dry laugh.

That sound was so uncharacteristic of her he found his hands raising to touch her cheeks and turning her head to his, her eyes where full with unshed tears. He moved forward and pressed his forehead over hers.

“I felt it close, so I took my bow and shot… At the same moment the arrow left my hand the presence disappeared.” Kagome caressed one of his hands as she met his eyes again. “I ran to search, and the only thing I found there was a dying badger, a pregnant dying badger with my arrow buried in it.”  Her tears started to flow down her cheeks, tears that were quickly licked away by him before resting his chin on the top of her head and held her.

He knew how Kagome hated the fact that animals had to die in order for them to eat meat. And that was when she knew there was an actual purpose to their actions. Even then she refused to do the killing or the skinning of the animal. He also knew how taking the life or an animal without real reason would make her feel.

“It died quickly after I found it, and then I buried”.

She separated from him enough to look into his golden eyes with burning determination “That’s why I didn’t want you to kill the owl. I suspect that whatever that has been observing us is using the animals, but the animals are only its tool”.

Inuyasha stared at her solemnly before nodding. “I won’t kill them…”  She smiled at him and hugged him by the waist. His arms moved naturally around her and pulled her close. He chuckled softly thinking how the sensation of her body relaxing and molding against him was incredible, it made him feel powerful, and capable of doing whatever she needed him to do. Deep down, he had to accept, a small fear for the power she had over him also appear along.

“I… I have something that can make it feel better” He wanted to kick himself by the quivering in his voice and the raised questioning tone it took at the end.

Kagome threw her head back and looked at him. Inuyasha wanted to hit himself again as his cheeks became hot again.

“You do?”  Her voice sounded gleeful and sweet.

“Um… Yeah, to make you forget that you killed a pregnant animal, and… and to make you feel better about yourself”

The hanyou knew he had said something wrong when she went stiff in his arms and her eyes changed from warm chocolate, to dark fire.

“Oh! That means I _should_ be feeling bad for what I did?”

Kagome took a step back and put her arms on her hips.

“No!, Wench! Is not like you _should_ ” he stretched the word “But, I mean, you _did_ killed and you hate to kill things…”

By the way she was glaring at him, his explanation was not helping.

“… and! And you have no real need to kill it…”

She was now tapping his foot rapidly. That was never a good sign.

“So, you thing I should not only feel bad about making that mistake, but I should feel terrible because I killed with no real reason?” Her voice escalated in volume with each word at the same time it became higher in pitch too.

He groaned and this time it was not internally. “That is NOT what I meant!” He walked closer “I wanted to say that I know that It would affect you _more_ that it should…”

She opened her mouth to talk when his hands cupped both sides of her face and pushed softly until her lips looked like a fish gaping out of the water.

“Inysha..”

“Wait! Wait!...” She narrowed her eyes but didn’t make any other sound.

“I know that it would make you feel bad, because you have this big, soft heart that makes you feel more things that you _should._ And the gift I want to give you is not because of that. Is… is… something I liked and wanted you to have it…”

She was no longer glaring at her, her eyes were now warm again and her raised eyebrow meant she was intrigued by what he said.  He smiled proud at his prowess, admiring the changes in her face. She looked really cute with her lips. Before overthinking it he reached down and pecked her before retrieving his hands.

Kagome could only blink as she observed the changes on her hanyou, from nervous, to smug and proud, to sweet as he kissed her lightly before he handed her a wrapped package.

“This is your gift!” he declared proud once again as he crossed his arms and hid his hands inside the haori.

“…Thank you, Inuyasha”

Carefully she took the wrapping and uncovered a beautiful wooden fan. She opened and revealed the images in it. It had branches full of pink sakura blooms on a red background.  It reminded her of the kimono she used on her welcome celebration.

The miko closed the fan and looked at him with a bright smile on her lips. “Thank you, Inuyasha”

“Khe!”

She opened again and caressed the delicate-looking flowers.

“You like it?... if you don’t I can get you another one…”

He was scratching behind of one of his ears and looking away from her with his blush extending all the way to his neck.

“I really like it… Is perfect. Thank you!”

Standing on her toes she stretched her body to peck his cheek.

At the moment her lips touched his skin he turned to face her at the same time his arm pulled her close to his chest and she giggled.

Sometimes she wondered if the shyness he showed was there only to make things easier for her, but other times like this one, she just enjoyed them and giggled.

She was expecting a kiss when his head came closer, instead he closed the distance between them and just rested his forehead on hers and inhaled deep.

“I missed you…I wished you were…”

The rain that stared to pour on them interrupted his words and made her giggle again.

“Shippou said it was going to rain…” She commented.

 His haori fell on her and he kneeled before her.

Inuyasha took them to the village jumping through the tree tops. The cold wind on her face and hair contrasting with the warm she held on to was familiar and made her feel safe.

The rest of the evening flowed uneventful, the only thing that mattered to both of them was that when everyone went to bed, her hand was in his and his aura brushing hers lulled her to sleep.

Little did they know that their next problem was at that moment walking towards the village, towards their home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the story so far, this is the last chapter about their somewhat normal/daily life. From here the problems will arise and things will change.  
> As always I would love to hear about your ideas, impressions and everything else about the story and chapter. Ideas, questions or constructive criticism are always welcome.  
> Thank you for reading and for the reviews and suscribing.  
>  Thank you very much.
> 
> Love,   
> Nanna.


	6. Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is the time to start working on the fields and Inuyasha is trying to help as much as he can, but the elder is still looking for the way to change the positive view the village has of the hanyou. Meanwhile the threat that has been around is coming closer.

**Memories of Us**

~~~~~~~0o0o0o0o~~~~~~

**6\. Work**

Miroku sat in front of Kagome and Inuyasha with his youngest child on his lap. They were in the hut of the Monk’s family talking about the trip that concluded the day before. It was midafternoon and the lady of the house was putting the girls to bed for their nap.

“… the look on his face was hilarious.”

Inuyasha growled at the monk who only grinned back and looked down to his son.

“Isn’t your uncle Yashy frightening? Yes, he is! Yes, he is!”

Kagome giggled as Inuyasha growled again. Sango who was setting the girls on their nap, bonked the back of her husband head as and muttered “behave”.

“Kagome, have you been working on your barriers?” Asked the monk at the same time he rubbed his head.

“I’ve been practicing from time to time…” she said with a soft voice.

“I see, is there a progress?”

Inuyasha snorted before Kagome was able to answer, she glared at him.

“Dunno if keeping me away is the _progress_ you’re talking about…”

Inuyasha gave Kagome a sardonic look and she blushed.  Lost to the couple was the knowing look that the older couple shared.

“So, you’re using your barriers to keep Inuyasha away from you?” Asked Sango before giggling.

“It was an accident! I forgot I made one and he tried to come closer and just crashed into it…”

Miroku looked at the hanyou with a sly expression on his face. “I imagine you were in a hurry to get _closer”_ The monk stretched the last word.

Sango turned to her husband and took the baby from his arms “The baby is safer with me…” said in a matter-of-factly voice.

After clearing his throat, the older man said to Kagome “I’m glad your barriers are strong enough to repel someone as powerful as Inuyasha… I’ve been wondering something.”

The rest of the adult occupants of the house looked intently waiting for him to continue. His dark brows went lower. “There’s a technique where is possible to ground a barrier on an object, that way even if the creator of the barrier is elsewhere the barrier stays up…”

“Like the barrier in Hijiri Island…” Whispered Sango beside him.

“Exactly!” He gave a smile to his wife and continued to voice his ideas, “Theoretically the person with such power would need to embed a sacred object before willing the barrier to appear. That would also mean the life of that barrier is limited to the amount of energy the person is able to embed. The monk used a holy object but I think that maybe and important object for the person could be good too.”

His violet eyes connected with Kagome’s and he smiled apologetically “I’ve only know this from scrolls and what we witnessed at Hijiri Island. But if there is someone with enough spiritual energy to do it is you, Kagome”

She smiled back and thank him even as she felt unworthy of the praise.

After a while they decided to start the daily shores, Miroku and Inuyasha decided to take care of the food and the children while Sango and Kagome went to the river to wash some clothes.

Inuyasha volunteered to bring Kagome’s laundry from Kaede’s hut.

“Yeah… I’ll get the dirty clothes and the special cloths you said you needed today…”

Miroku and Sango hid their smiles when they saw Kagome drilling the hanyou’s head with her eyes as he smiled smugly congratulating himself for his amazing memory.

He looked down to the other three and noticed the angry look directed at him. “What? You said to the old hag and the kid to get you cloths because you were bleeding… didn’t ya?”

“Inuyasha…” she said through her teeth as the couple in front of attempted hide their chuckles.

“What?”  He said defensively as he stood up and took a few steps away from her.

The monk cleared his throat and waited for the hanyou to look at him. “I think both ladies will appreciate it if we change the subject, my friend…”

“Pffft… that’s not it bouzu. As if Kagome would get upset for that, bleeding is something normal for every female,” He turned to the woman beside him and pointed to the monk with his chin, “Tell him Kagome.”

Before she had time to answer, the monk stood up and pushed the hanyou outside of the hut.

“Just forget it Inuyasha and go and get the laundry…”

“Keh!” was his answer before jumping away.

Miroku stayed outside longer than necessary avoiding the ladies’ embarrassment, giving them sometime to cool off. Only when the sound of laughter reached his ears did he come back inside.

They were laughing about something the baby had done, or maybe at the hanyou obliviousness but the monk had no intention of getting into that argument.

He was straightening his robes when the half demon came back carrying a basket full of clothes. Neither of the women looked at him or talked directly at him as Kagome took it from his arms and Sango picked up hers before walking outside towards the river.

Before Inuyasha asked something that would make the scene worse Miroku distracted asking him what he wanted for dinner. They agreed on grilled fish and a fish soup for the kids and Inuyasha volunteered to go fishing, before he went to river the monk advised him to go to a place away from the women.

After a grumpy “Keh!” he went away.

Shippou and Rin arrived a later and waited with the monk for the return of the rest of their group. Kaede was working with a villager and would be staying the night to watch over them.

The hanyou came back fast and they were soon preparing the fish to eat.

They prepared the soup in a comfortable silence. Inuyasha’s twitching ears keeping track of the kids as they played inside the hut.

The one Inuyasha called _mean-elder_ ’s footsteps walked along the path towards them, with the foreigner who was from the village Miroku and Inuyasha had just been at.

They were still away quite out of human hearing range but Inuyasha was able to hear their approach clearly. The hanyou started growling alerting Miroku.

Miroku turned his head and arched a brow.

“What’s bothering you?”

“I have something to settle with that man… _Mikio_ ” The hanyou snarled through the name.

“What did he d—” Miroku was interrupted by another growl.

“He was rude to Kagome” Miroku waited for him to finish another growl and finish the story. “The fucking human called her impure and asked her to bed _him_ …” he gritted his teeth, “I’m gonna rip his head off.”

Knowing how territorial Inuyasha was with Kagome, Miroku was impress the man was still alive.

“I think Kagome won’t like the idea of you killing a villager”

“He’s not. He ain’t gonna live here anymore… or anywhere else.”

Inuyasha could hear their footsteps approach the hut.

“I’ll take the elder away, so you have the talk with this _Mikio._ ” The monk face went completely serious “Scare him enough to go away. Don’t kill the man.”

Inuyasha only grunted as he violently gutted the last fish.

“I’m serious Inuyasha. If you kill him, it will not only affect you, but also Kagome.”

“I’m not stupid, bou— “

The elder and his companion knocked and entered through the entryway of the hut. Their smug faces confident that they were safe from the Hanyou’s wrath.

Miroku masked a polite face he greeted them into his home.

“Good afternoon, monk,” The elder said presently enough, then turned to Inuyasha and grimaced, “Creature.”

Miroku nodded, his brow twitching and Inuyasha grunted.

“This is Mikio, I think you may know him, he is the new addition to our village.”

Miroku bowed again and stood closer to the pair of man, facing the elder.

“I’m glad you are here, Elder Iwao, I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you.”

Miroku looked at Inuyasha and frowned at him before turning his and turned his attention back to the elder adding in a grave tone. “Privately.”

A slow and wicked smile appeared on the elder’s face. It was amusing to see some conflict between the monk and the beast. In his head the best course of action would be playing the part of the concerned elder and exacerbate the conflict he was witnessing. He nodded and started walked away with Miroku leaving Mikio behind with Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looked at Mikio, in a way that predators stare at their prey, not moving and only breathing. Mikio was frozen in place, every moment Inuyasha spent not moving made him increasingly nervous. Then Inuyasha smiled. The smile worked it's way across Inuyasha's face, making a show of his fangs. He flexed his claws, making sure Mikio knew just what he was using to gut the fish open

 “So… your’ da new guy.” He said when the other man was close enough to look up to see the hanyou’s face. 

Mikio cleared his throat before answering. “Ye… Yes. I am. And who are you, demon?” The incipient defiance at the end brought a real smile to Inuyasha’s face.

 “I’m the protector of this village… and sometimes I go and protect other defenseless villages… like the one you’re from.” He declared crossing his arms over his chest.

“I am a part of this village now.”

The hanyou only arched an eyebrow in response, he felt proud of himself. Thinking how Kagome was wrong, he had matured. There had been at least three moments than a younger Inuyasha would have punched this puny human in the face. But now he was confident, there was a chance of ending this without a bloody face. He was a fucking adult now.

His white ear twitched at the sound of Shippou’s footsteps walking towards them. A sniff was enough to know the kit was upset. Without taking his eyes from the human in front of him he used a tone that he knew Shippou would hear, keeping his voice gentle and firm. “Stay with the children, Shippou.”

Inuyasha heard him stop, “But… Inuyasha…” he whined.

Inuyasha turned his head and growled the order to stay inside. Seeing the wide green eyes watching him nervously, he added, “It’s fine, go and watch the kids.” Shippou nodded and retreated.

Inuyasha looked at the human again, the man was still looking at him rebelliously trying to fight the fear that was present on the shaking of his hands.  He used a smug expression before using one of Kagome’s sayings still feeling like a full grown adult. “… You were saying?”  Yeah, that sounded like something she would say.

Mikio took a shaky breath in and declared. “I am living in this village now!”   

A condescending look was the answer the hanyou gave to the red faced human.

“I don’t think so,” The hanyou added crossing his arms.

“What? You think that because the miko-whore ruts with you, until she finds the next freak at least. And now you thing that gives you the right to order me-?

Mikio was cut off by the sudden pain in the back of his head as it smashed on the tree behind him. Inuyasha leaned down, snarling, a clawed hand on the man’s throat preventing him from speaking further,

The possibility of ending this conversation in a peaceful way ended at the moment the stupid human dared to speak of Kagome like that with that filthy mouth of his.

The sounds that he let out were more of a deeper and guttural rumble then a voice, “If ya say some shit about my mate again, tha’s the last thing you’re gonna say.” Inuyasha’s grip on the man’s throat cut was tight enough that Mikio’s face was turning blue. Inuyasha knew he had made his point and still the human was looking at him defiantly.

He let go of Mikio’s neck and the man slid to the ground gasping for air before speaking again.

“You cannot kill me, Iwao would banish you from here if you do something!”

Inuyasha crouched in front of the man, pleased to see how Mikio retreated until his head was against the trunk again.

“Inuyasha’s forest is the home of many dangerous animals…” He said as he studied his claws in front of the increasingly pale man. “Animals that could cut open a man with its bare claws…” His golden eyes stared back at the other man’s brown eyes before finishing. “There are those kind of territorial… _beasts_.”

His white ear flicked registering the comeback of the other men. Without turning the hanyou gave another show of teeth and fangs before taking him by the collar and pull him up.

With a fake overly concerned and loud voice the hanyou said, “You have to be more careful about what you do around here if you want to survive Mikio, I don’t want you to trip and hurt yourself… again.”

The elder was the first to reach them, giving Inuyasha a suspicious glare he turned to Mikio. “Are you alright?” The other man nodded.

“I think he needs some rest, the heat these last days must have taken a toll on his body.” Said the monk in an amicable tone.

“It must be that,” added Inuyasha, gaining another glare from the elder and the forester.

After the elder sent his greetings to Sango, and only to Sango, they turned around and began to walk away.

“Oh! Mikio!” Shouted Miroku, causing the two retreating men to turn, “The chief of your village told us to ask you to come back, they their leather worker back…They can guarantee your safety there.” The violet eyed man smiled in a way that gave Mikio goosebumps, “A long happy life is waiting for you there”.

Miroku bowed slightly and waited for them to disappear before turning to his silver haired friend with an accusing look on his face.

“I said scare him, not hurt him.”

Inuyasha scoffed, “He ain’t dead, bouzu. And all his limbs are attached.”

The monk let out a tired sigh before following after his friend who was already working on the fish again.

“What’ya talked with the old prune?”

Miroku looked over at and watched his friend slice the fish skillfully with his claws. His white ears were flat on his hair and he was huffing. For some reason Inuyasha was pouting.

“Nothing important. Just giving him information about how the other villages already started to work on the fields… and pretending you shouldn’t be involved in the in the conversation. Did your _talk,_ ” he stretched the word, “go as you had planned?”

Inuyasha growled deep in his chest, but the answer came from behind as the young Kitsune approached.

“He deserved it!” The little kid stood between the two men, confronting Miroku “Inuyasha didn’t do anything wrong!”

Golden and violet eyes stared at Shippou as he puffed his small chest and pointed at Inuyasha “If he had said that kind of things about Sango, you would have make him bleed and not only threaten him!”

Miroku studied Inuyasha’s face as he looked away embarrassedly. It was obvious the silver haired man was moved by the kitsune defending him. The awestruck look on Inuyasha’s face diminished the bravado he was trying to pull.

“What did he say about Kagome?” Said the monk tilting his head to the side.

Shippou leaned closer to Miroku and with his little hands fisted, he whispered, “he said that Kagome was a… a… _”_ His eyes watered as he struggled to say the rest, but as the words faltered his eyes never wavered.

The child gave a little jump when a big clawed hand caressed his auburn tresses. As the green eyes looked up to the golden ones, Inuyasha’s voice sounded around them.

“Don’t worry about it, Brat. They were all lies, we know that. Just go inside with the rest of the kids…”

Shippou blinked confused and opened his lips, ready to say he will be staying despite what Inuyasha said. Inuyasha nudged him towards the hut and gave him a side looped smile. “Go inside brat, this is not for someone your age.”  The kitsune stumbled his way back to the house, where Rin welcomed him back.

Miroku watched the interaction between them, feeling proud of his friend. Inuyasha was comforting the child in his own way, letting him know how he should not be worried about it and keeping him from knowing things that would hurt him.

After Shippou started to chat with Rin, or more accurate, Rin started to speak to him, Inuyasha took the fish he had prepared and put it in a pot over the fire and some around the fire to be roasted. The look on his golden eyes was closed and guarded, and the way he moved lacked the usual drive he had when dealing with food.

“By what Shippou said, that man said a few vulgar things about Kagome, care to tell me what exactly?”

Inuyasha growled low for a moment as he pretended to check and turn the fish he just placed. He took in a long breath of air then let out a rumbling sigh before he turned his eyes to the monk and with a flat voice declared “He said… she was a _whore_ ” The last word was enunciated so low Miroku had to replay it on his head before giving a very human growl himself. The hanyou didn’t react to his friend’s indignation, instead he went inside and brought the pot they used for drinking water, poured its contents in the pot over the fire and told him he will go to the river to get more.

Inuyasha walked to the river immersed in his own head. Thinking about how that man’s words affected not only him but the other people around him. He reached the river and washed his hands and filled the pot mechanically, jumping when a small hand grabbed his arms. It took him a couple of blinks before registering it was Kagome.

“What’s wrong, Inuyasha?”

He stood up, and turned to leave. “Nothing…”

She cut his was and put her hands on his chest. “Inuyasha…”

He was avoiding her eyes as his ears stayed down on his head.

“Please, tell me what happened” She could feel his heart beating rapidly under her hands. As he continued to avoid looking at her face she did the only thing she could think of to calm him and comfort him, for the moment it didn’t matter what had gotten him, what mattered to her was making him feel better.

With that sole goal on her heart and head she threw her arm around him and held him tight. His strong body remained immobile for and a wave of insecurity washed over her, she decided that even if he didn’t want her hug, she would stay there. Slowly she felt his body curve around her until his cheek was resting on the top of her head.  She heard the pot hitting the ground and soon his arms were around her.

A secret smile formed om her lips when he started to make the soothing rumble she liked so much.

When Sango and Kagome saw the hanyou emerge from the foliage with the pot, she thought it was weird for him not to walk to over to them, even if she was supposed to be mad at him. Sango had asked him jokingly if he was there to help them with the laundry and as he continued walking without acknowledging them. She was worried. She was half expecting him to be pouting, but as she touched him and he jumped at her touch, the miko knew something was wrong.

Kagome started to rub his back in small circles waiting for him to say something, and he didn't disappoint her.

“That mean-elder and the stupid human Mikio came by the monk’s house…” he had started with a quiet voice but as he said the last part, he growled.

She broke the embrace to look at his face. When she managed to make him turn to look her in the eye, she declared, “I don't know what they did or what they said. But those kind of people are not important to us and there is nothing they can do or say.” She placed her hands on his cheeks and pulled him close, with their foreheads almost touching, “nothing they or other anyone else can do to change us…” she cupped his cheeks as he had done before, causing his lips to pout, the black haired vixen pecked them and winked, “We are special and there is nothing they can do about it, get it?”

He stayed frozen there, rejoicing in the vision he had in front of him and the power she had on him. With only a hug and a kiss, and not even a proper kiss, she was capable of taking all his worries and fears aside.  He mirrored her hands and pecked her too. “Got it, wench”.

“Hey you two! Stop flirting and go back to work!”

They both turned to Sango, who was waving a piece of clothing as she urged them to work. Kagome stood straight and put her open hand on her temple simulating a military salute and shouted, “Yes, sir!”

Inuyasha ignored the display, it was one of those thing Kagome did from time to time that made no sense but made her happy. Instead he picked up the pot he dropped and filled it again. He was about to jump to the treetops when Kagome’s hand covered the hand than held the pot on a tight hold. Her eyes had lost their previous playful glow, “I meant it… They don’t matter, neither do their words.”  He nodded and traced from her brow to her cheek with his free hand before kissing her forehead.

“Only you matter to me, bitch.”

Before she could register his words he was gone, leaving her blushing from her forehead to the shoulders and the hanyou hoped his own blush subsided before the monk had the opportunity to joke about it.

It was late at night when something woke up Inuyasha, he couldn’t place what caused him to jolt out of sleep like that. His eyes went directly to the small kitsune thinking that if something was out of place, his ears or nose would notice it before the humans. Instead of finding his green eyes shining unnaturally from the other side of the hut, were he and Rin slept, the sound of a soft snoring told him the other one with youkai blood was not aware of anything.

His gaze moved to Kagome who was covered by the thin layer of the summer futon. His eyes found hers, she had a hand pulling the fabric of his pants. Inuyasha frowned when she tugged again.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered.

She shook her head and raised the futon cover inviting him to join her. Inuyasha blinked a couple of times and tilted his head in a way it reminded Kagome of a confused puppy.

“Inuyasha…” she muttered with a soft inviting voice. He knew he was going to go to her, deep down he was sure that his reluctance to move was momentary and his will was not strong enough to deny her request.

He only needed one more pull on her direction to move, and she knew it too. She gave him a playful smile with her eyes sparkling with mischief as her hand took his and pulled again, hard.  

Kagome giggled when a tired sigh came out of his lips as he let her pull his body to the futon. And once again as she hugged him close.

She had placed him on his back and she was cuddled with half of her body on top of his as she threw one of her legs in between his and her arm draped around his haori cladded chest. When he circled her back and pulled his miko closer, she let out a content sight of her own and stretched up to kiss his jaw.

This new development felt really good and Inuyasha was starting to think why they didn’t do this kind of things before. A low rumble sounded in his chest before doing another thing that felt natural to him, reaching down to nuzzle the side of her head, ending the caress with a lick on his temple. Action that was reciprocated with Kagome burrowing her head on his chest again and letting his soft rumble lull her to sleep.

Before falling sleep with the scent of his wench close, the weight of her body on his and the sound of her calm breath on his ears, he stayed there awestruck again by the moment and the stunning fact that he was not dreaming. A couple of seconds before he was lulled to sleep by the sound of her heartbeat close to his chest he promised himself this will be a normal occurrence from then on.

Shippou woke up in the middle of the night and with one eye still shut he walked out of the hut to relieve his bladder, the night was warm and the sky was clear, and he decided it was not a waste of time to admire the starry sky before returning. His little hands moved the door away, ready to get an accusing golden glare for what the half demon called “Being a noisy brat syndrome”, his cute face was already set into a scowl when he turned to the usual place said half demon slept. The scowl disappeared when he found the place empty, but Tessaiga was laying on the floor. The little Kitsune started to worry, Inuyasha never left the hut without his sword.

His bright green eyes moved to Kagome, thinking that maybe the hanyou was missing because he was with Kagome. Maybe if he wasn’t as scared as he was at that moment his lips would had formed a smirk as he remembered Inuyasha had called her his Mate. A big deal for anyone with youkai blood. But at that moment what he wanted were answers, and he got every single one he wanted when he noticed the silver and red figured that was way too big to be Kagome in her futon.

The curiosity got the best of the kit and couldn’t help to walk carefully around them. Tilting his little red head, he stood closer watching them. They were on their side, facing each other, Inuyasha had curved his back and thrown his arm and leg around her, so there was not much Kagome to see. Only her hand around the hanyou’s torso and her black hair, Shippou could see that Kagome’s head was protectively tucked under Inuyasha’s head.

The door opened to reveal the monk. Shippou was shocked that Inuyasha showed no signs of waking up. Miroku stayed at the entrance drinking the scene in front of him with a smirk. His violet gaze found the kitsune, who made an ‘I dunno’ gesture with his shoulders.

“Hey! Inuyasha! It’s time to wake up, my friend,” declared the visitor with an amicable voice, and said hanyou’s sole reaction was a flick of his white ear.

Miroku chuckled and tried again. “Is time to go to the fields, if we don’t go now, there will be no time to finish the rest of the work…”

A clawed hand raised and waved him away. “I know, I know… wait outside.”

Apparently the hanyou was not going to move until his friend was out of the hut. “I’ll be there, don’t take long…”  The answer was a short deep growl as he walked outside. Shippou took the opportunity to go back to Rin’s side of the hut and pretended to be asleep.

Inuyasha slowly stroked Kagome’s back causing her to grunt and stretch as she woke up. He looked down at her scrunched face, watching as her eyes started to focus and a slow smile formed on her lips.

“Hi…” she whispered with a deep voice.

The silver haired man smiled back “Gotta go, wench. I’ll be back for dinner”.

Before she answered he reached down and nuzzled her neck and cheek, ending with a quick lick on her temple. She motioned her hands as fast as she could to catch his face before the hanyou moved away and peck his lips, lingering enough to nuzzle his cheek back. 

“Go back to sleep, bitch”. He whispered in a grouchy tone, to what she only made an affirmative noise in the back of her throat and let him stand up.

Shippou was expecting her angry reaction to the last pet name, the whole situation was unnerving. Inuyasha acting like an affectionate mate, and Kagome behaving like an obedient bitch, not even reacting to the name? Grown-ups were weird. The kitsune almost blew his cover when Inuyasha turned his head on the kit’s direction before walking out and whispered with an exasperated tone “You too, go to sleep and stop snooping, runt”.

On his part the hanyou walked out of the hut working on hiding the smug smile as he heard the monk’s hushed laugh.

“Let’s hurry bouzu.”

The red cladded hanyou walked fast past his friend and kept going, Miroku had to jog to keep up. He started talking.

“I still don’t understand why we have to start working in the middle of the night…” A grunt was Inuyasha’s only answer “I mean, it is still night, you told me to come and pick you up at the time my youngest wakes up before sunrise. And that means nobody else is awake yet…”

The hanyou’s pace would take them to the field in no time. And Inuyasha really wanted to start early, without stopping or turning he declared matter-of-factly “I can start working with this little light and get the soil ready for the men to start to plant directly… and I can go to work on my own.”

“On your own?”

Inuyasha cleared his throat, “Yeah, my thing on the forest.”

Miroku covered his chuckle with a fake cough “I see…”

As soon as they reached the fields the human informed him which fields were going to be used for the rice planting and he started to work. Inuyasha didn’t need much instruction, after all it was the third year he was participating on the planting. The villagers never informed him directly of what they were going to do each year, but always asked for his help through Miroku.

In a way Inuyasha liked to feel useful and part of the village. He knew that the general idea of him was positive, after all he had saved the them more than a few times, and as Miroku constantly said ‘change takes time’ and he was really trying to fit in. Also, working on the fields also gave him the right to ask for part of the crops without feeling as a free loader. And, if he wanted to be respected as Kagome’s mate, or husband as the humans called it, he needed to work with them, even if they acted like a retarded bunch of seals. His arms kept working on the soil as he shrugged, he didn’t know what seals were but every time Kagome said something about them it was about something really stupid, like clapping nonstop or holding a ball on their nose… stupid.

Before he knew he was done with all but one field just as the sun started to peek itis way over the horizon and most of the men walked to them.  Words of appreciation were said to him, words that were welcomed by his monk friend as his ears perked up and his silver head nodded in return.

With high spirits the villagers started with the rest of the job, as the hanyou finished the work on the last one. His ears kept swiveling around listening to the men said things about how much he had saved them time, his hair covered his smile from the rest of them seeing it, but it was nice to know they cared about what he had done, the weeding, the clearing of the watering system between the fields and the soil turning. He was proud at himself, done by humans it could have taken them more than a day to finish, but now they could save precious time before another storm arrived.

When his work was finish the half demon discretely approach the chief of the fields to inform him, aware that when he walked too fast or noisily to humans they tended to be aggressive. That being the main reason behind his overly slow pace he stood close to the chief and using his least threatening voice he announced, “I’m done working with the soil, good luck with the planting,” The smiled he received from said man was a pleasant surprise, along with the, “Thank you, Inuyasha,” The hanyou nodded courtly and walked away.

After taking a refreshing bath on the river, his feet took him to his current favorite place. Fortunately, the rain had not messed too much with the little construction work he had done and without losing any more time he started to fix the damages and continuing with the wood work. At the end of the day his future home was starting to look like one. Maybe a couple of days, a week tops and it would be finished, the toughest part were the windows and the doors. He wanted those to resemble Kagome’s family home in the future, with sliding doors and windows, and that would take some time, and tools to get it right.

His steps were light and rhythmic as he walked to Kaede’s hut, the old hag was most probably home by now. A mischievous smiled came to his lips, but that would not change the sleeping arrangements he had in mind.

Kagome’s day had been rather calm and uneventful. There were no herbs that needed to be picked immediately, no one came by the door to ask for help and, the kids went to play on their own and Kaede and Miroku were busy and no lesson had been scheduled for that day or the following days either.

The miko in training decided to practice archery. That was one of her skills that haven’t gotten back after her return and she desperately wanted to get back at to at least the level of skill she had before. Otherwise she could put other people’s lives in danger or even her own.

She took everything she needed and walked to the back of the hut, to a secluded part where the passing villagers wouldn’t see her. Her fingers grabbed the arrow from her pouch, and placed it on the bow, took a deep breath and straightened her back, feeling the strain on her chest and back muscles, slowly letting the air out she focused on the middle of the tree trunk and wishing it hit the mark she shot… only to miss the target entirely.

A tired sigh resonated around her as she walked to the place where the arrow fell, picking every single one of the arrows that missed the target, one by one was her self-imposed punishment. Kagome walked back to the shooting place and squared her shoulder. She was not stopping until she made some progress!

True to her words practicing was how Inuyasha found her. With her eyes focused solely on the target, with her figure illuminated by the warm yellow light of the sunset. He watched her from the farthest place he could, trying to remain unnoticed by his miko. Her posture ready and tense, her bow perfectly stilled and the arrow in place, a few slow breaths as her spiritual energy covered her completely, making her glow with her pinkish light. And then the arrow crossed the distance still bathed on her light, hitting the middle of the tree.

“YES! YES! 10 of 10! I made it!” She shouted as she danced on her place, she stopped mid jump and her eyes zeroed on him and she gave him a huge smile. “I can hit the target again! Did you see it, Inuyasha?”

The hanyou nodded with a proud smile in his face and walked closer, the miko had already open her arms as he moved toward her. Neither of them was able to watch the small red fur running in their direction until it jumped into the priestess arms, who received him moving her arms around him.

“You did Kagome!” Shouted Shippou with a blinding smile looking at her in awe. “You are almost as good as you were!” his auburn hair swiveled when his eyes tracked the figure of the hanyou, that was a few steps away. “Right, Inuyasha?”

Hiding his disappointed face at the same time Kagome was giving him an apologetic look, the hanyou made an approbatory noise and messed with the kid’s hair.

“I think is time to start dinner. What would you like to eat, Shippou?” Asked Kagome as they started to walk to the hut.

Three days later, the works on the fields was almost done and Inuyasha was proudly staring at his creation as the late afternoon light illuminated his future home. Only a few more touches and it would be done.  He could almost pat himself in the back. It was a very decent hut, the only thing missing was the finishing in the roof for the smoke and windows. He smiled smugly, Kagome would be happy to live there, he had no doubt about it.

He flinched involuntary at the memory of his miko. At this moment she was not happy with him. She was beyond pissed off with him. She had not thrown him out of her futon, yet. But she didn’t make any effort to call him there, it was his own will of not letting this _thing_ affect them more than what had already did.

The hanyou was sure it was not even his fault. It was the stupid houshi’s fault. The annoying human had been pestering him about how he was tired of trying to get Sango in _the mood_ after their son was born. And pestering was the right word. Since the moment they were walking to the fields the monk had started with the subject and by the time they were walking to Kaede’s hut where the families planned to eat dinner the hanyou was fed-up and chose a bad moment and place to stop walking, turn to his friend and say what he had been in his head for the entire day.

They were on the forest side of the road to the hut, the silver haired hanyou was fairly sure they were alone, and did not think about how close this particular place was to the location of Kagome’s shooting practice. So when his voice raised, he had no idea his lovely miko was listening to a part of his speech.

From what he could remember his discourse had started roughly like this: “Shut up bouzu! Of course you are the one that has to work for it right now! She just had a baby a few months ago, a baby that you started to plan as fast as the twins were born! She had an incredibly hard pregnancy and she put up with that alone at the end. Because you were with me, killing monsters far away!”

Inuyasha was completely sure that part had not been heard by the miko. After that long speech Miroku had said something about understanding all that, but that he still wanted to be with her as husband and wife. That it was difficult and tiresome to be the only one approaching the matter, and that it has always been like that.  The silver haired man thought this part could had been heard, but he couldn’t be certain.

The part he was sure she had listened to was when he had sided with his friend. Now he knew that move was stupid, and had no argument against it, but yesterday he had not been his brightest day. Just before registering the fired up aura of Kagome behind him something like this had come out of his mouth: “Yeah, bitches are difficult to get in the mood. You have to think about how they are feeling, if they are tired, if they smell like something bad happened to them. The place has to be right. It is a lot of things to keep in mind when we try to make something happen… it takes too much work. And the bitches don’t appreciate it.”

He didn’t know when the term used changed from women to bitches, but only made things worse from Kagome perspective. Just after he stopped talking and crossed his arms over his chest did his senses register Kagome’s furious presence behind him.

Without turning and seeing her face, Inuyasha knew he had fucked up. And under her burning gaze he had tried to explain himself to her, using a voice that could had been interpreted as belligerent he said something so stupid that if possible he would be kicking his own ass. “Kagome! Why are you mad about this! You know that I am not lying! It is a lot of work behind every _alone_ moment we have!” He could have explained that get away from the others was the work part but he did not. “…I am the one who deals with everything else,” He could have also said that the ‘everything’ he was talking about was the mean comments and the mocking looks from Miroku and Shippou. And he just had to say the stupidest thing at the end. “Remember how emotional you get when you are bleeding… this is not that bad, is just the hor-mo-nies you talk about!” Every time he remembered that final part he wanted to slap himself… hard. The moment he said it, the hanyou knew how bad it had been

Kagome’s reaction had been… different than what she used to do three years ago. Instead of _sitting_ him multiple times. She had narrowed her eyes and let out a long unsteady breath before whispering with a trembling voice “Good to know that’s how you feel Inuyasha… Don’t worry about it. I won’t make you work that hard anymore”. Without another word she turned and started walking back to the woods.

For brief moment he smiled, thinking that she had gotten his point, but when a furious screech sounded from her direction along with a flaring of her aura, that delusion disappeared. Miroku only patted him on the back “Good luck with this, my friend.” The priest raised one finger and moved close to the hanyou’s confused face. “just one advice from this married man… When your mouth is the cause of your predicament… silence is sometimes better than keep talking.” Another couple of pats and the father of three walked the rest of the way alone.

Kagome had come back later and had not said a word to him since, when it was time to sleep and he had joined as they had agreed before the fight, but instead of facing him and hold him as she had done before, she stayed with her back to him and had made no one thing to acknowledge his presence. And this morning she had woken up before her regular hour and walked out of the house before breakfast.

Now it was time for dinner and he had no way to avoid the subject, but there was no way to meet her alone. This morning Sango had woken up with a fever and what it looked like a bad case of the flu so her three kids were sleeping at Kaede’s.

With a long tired sigh, he jumped to the treetops to do a last perimeter check before going home. And he hoped that being around children she loved had made her forget she was mad at him, maybe just a little. Just enough to talk to him again.

He always finished the round with the main entrance to the village, the one that had the easiest rout to reach them. As he jumped closer he had that strange feeling, his reading of the creature coming close to the village. Human but not human. It was so fast that Inuyasha could not be dwell on it before it went away and the only thing he sense from it was human, and a week and malnourished human at that.

The human jumped back scared when the red cladded hanyou appeared before him from the air. The silver haired man was drilling him with his golden eyes. “Why are you here, human?”

The visitor’s eyes widened at the deep and dry tone of the hanyou. “I… I am loo-looking for help for my village!” he managed to utter with a broken yet loud voice. Inuyasha only response was the rising of one eyebrow. The silence made the human talk again, “There is this witch in the forest close to my village that has been controlling the animals and she is hunting one of us every moon!” The man started crying, “She’s killed everyone man who had tried to hunt her down to end this.  She brings back their bodies to their homes!”

Without a word the hanyou turned and started to walk away. After a few steps one of his ears swiveled and his golden eyes found him again. “Are you not coming?”

As he guided the new visitor to Kaede’s home he knew the conversation with Kagome had to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a few moments I had on my mind for a long time. I hope you like them
> 
> Here is a part where Inuyasha is incredibly empathetic about Sango’s pregnancy, I think he paid attention to the changes and the hard moments during both pregnancies because he never before had someone close who went through that, and the shocking discovering that it was not only filled with good moments and that she did suffer. I also think her pregnancies left a deep impression in him.   
> And thank you Annette for helping me with my weird school-taught-English and weird wording.
> 
> Thank you for reading this far, and also appreciate every one of the reviews and subscribes that you give me, thank you again for taking the time.
> 
> Love,  
> Nanna.


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